PROGRESS OF THE NEW BUBBLE INSTALLATION
The installation of the new bubbles began on Saturday, August 3. All the light fixtures, nets, divider curtains, etc. were removed from the North Bubble. On Sunday, August 4 the North Bubble was taken down. It was cut up into pieces and disposed of. Below are some photos of the work being done.
Courts 8-12 without the bubble
Power washing the channels in the grade beam
Repairing bubble connection to the equipment pad on Court 8
Cleaning Har Tru out of the air ducts
Oval Tennis’ equipment
Loosening Har Tru material on the surface of the courts
Leveling the courts
More court leveling work
LTC electricians
Rob Kelton hard at work
Life at the Front Desk goes on
Excess material to be removed
Tools of the trade
Tool for cutting the cement grade beam. Making way for a new, wider passageway.
View of the South Bubble and the 59th St. Bridge
It’s Wednesday, August 7. So far the weather has cooperated. Hopefully that will continue. The initial work of leveling the courts is almost complete. The new North Bubble is being delivered today. See below for a few more photos.
Rolling the courts
Bags of Har Tru for the courts
Making room for the new passageway
Work on the grade beam
Unloading the new bubble. All the way from Canada!
Lifting the bubble off the truck
Sergio and Rob of EAMCO
Bubbles wrapped up and successfully unloaded. Waiting to be installed
More bubble bundles
Thursday, August 8 and there was some rain overnight with more expected tonight and tomorrow. Oval Tennis was unable to work on the courts today. They will need to wait until the courts dry before they can complete the job of leveling the courts.
Puddles on the courts from the rain overnight
Stacked up behind the courts is insulation to go in the liner of the bubble
Below is a step by step photo documentary of the bubble being moved from the curb near the Tram to its resting place on the courts. This is one of two bundles which will be the North Bubble. This bundle weighs 6500 pounds. It took 12 men over an hour to move it into place.
The bundle on the fork lift awaiting its trek to the courts
Plywood to be placed under the wheels of the fork lift
Beginning the trek across the Tram Plaza
Slowly moving forward
Expertly negotiating a turn while avoiding a tree
Getting closer to the courts
The bundle is almost ready to be set down next to the wall
The bundle is on the ground next to the sidewalk
The bubble has been turned sideways on the pallet so that it could be lifted between the poles of the walkway canopy
The bubble is emerging from under the canopy
The bubble on the courts ready to be pushed into place
Positioning the fork lift to push the bubble
Safely in place ready to be unwrapped and spread out on the courts
It’s Monday, August 12 and we’re finally getting some dry weather. We lost two days over the weekend because the courts were very soft from the rain and no work could be done. The crew from Oval Tennis, actually two crews, are hard at work finishing the job of leveling the courts. The current plan is to put up the new North Bubble on Wednesday with the courts ready for play on Sunday or Monday.
Leveling courts and spreading material
Moving material
More court leveling and rolling the courts
Wednesday, August 14 and the courts are still too wet to put up the bubble. Tomorrow is the big day! Some work was done getting ready for the installation.
Revolving door installed on Court 12. This will be the entrance to the North Bubble until work is completed on the South Bubble.
The courts ready for the bubble to go up
It’s Thursday, August 15 and it’s another beautiful day! We deserve some good weather. The crew was here at 7AM ready to begin the work of putting up the bubble. The bundles you see pictured above are unfolded and the bubbles are spread out over the courts. First, however, layers of plastic are laid down on the courts to keep the inside of the bubble clean. The crew then unfolds the bubble and pulls it into position. The bubble is then secured with boards which drop into the channel around the perimeter. Once this process is complete, the bubble can be inflated.
The crew pulling the bubble into place
Here you see the layer of plastic laid down on the courts to protect the bubble
One very excited member of the crew!
Pulling the NW corner of the bubble into place
Securing the corner of the bubble by dropping boards into the channel
Pulling the SW corner of the bubble into place
Securing another corner
The bubble is up! At 12:30PM on Thursday the fans were turned on in the North Bubble. It took about an hour to fully inflate the bubble. There is much work to be done on the courts and with lights, divider curtains, etc. However, we have been assured that the courts will be ready for play on Monday, August 19.
Inside the new bubble with only the center pole lights
Skip Hartman and Rob Kelton at a 7AM meeting
Sergio installing a hang light on Court 8
The first hang light installed in the North Bubble
Cleaning the liner where it got dirty during installation
Starting work on the courts
A dried up puddle on Court 12. It will look perfect before Monday!
It’s Monday, August 19 and the new North Bubble is open! It’s so bright that you might need sunglasses inside. The first players on the courts were the Day Campers at 9AM.
Inside the North Bubble looking towards Court 8
The first players entering through the revolving door on Court 12
Planning strategy for the day’s matches
Meanwhile in the South Bubble, work has started taking down lights, divider curtains, nets, poles, etc. The plan is to get all of the work done inside the bubble today and then lower the bubble on Tuesday.
Taking down the center light pole between Courts 1 and 2
Looking toward Court 7
Taking down lights on Court 4
As promised, it’s Tuesday, August 20 and the South Bubble is on the ground. The crews are busy cutting up the old bubble so it can be disposed of. Insulation has been removed from the liner and must also be disposed of. The pictures below were taken at just after 9AM. Everything you see was accomplished in about two hours. The crew is unbelievably efficient!
The view from the lounge looking at Courts 1-3. Great morning light with our new Eastern exposure!
Pieces of the bubble on Court 1
The lounge windows from Court 1. You can see the beam where the bubble attaches
The NW Corner of Court 1 and the passageway to Court 10
The bubble on the ground covering Courts 4-7
Detaching the bubble from the passageway to Court 10
It’s Monday, August 26 at 3PM and the new South Bubble is up! Below are some photos from today and from the past few days. We expect to have some of the courts in the South Bubble ready for this weekend.
Removing the old passageway to Court 10
Loaded up on the power lift and ready to move
Work on the blower – a new shaft going into place
Robbie supervising while Sergio positions a new passageway
Working on top of the passageway to Court 8
First light of day on the bubble
The new South Bubble just beginning to inflate
Connecting the bubble to the emergency door on Court 7
The first look inside the new bubble
Attaching the bubble near the lounge window
General cleanup
Bubbles are delivered without openings for doors and passageways. Through a slit cut in the bubble, you can see the new passageway.
Center light poles ready to go up
Attaching a hang light on Court 2
The center pole between Courts 2 & 3 with the mid-court lounge in the background
Tuesday, August 27 and work continues. Jose and Victor are getting the courts ready for play – patching, leveling, adding HarTru, etc. Hang lights are being attached all around the bubble.
Jose spreading material on Court 2
We’re getting closer and closer to opening Courts 1-3. This reminds me of our years at Stadium Tennis Center in the Bronx when the bubbles went up in October and down again in April. You’d look at how much work needed to be done and think opening day would never happen. Slowly things would get done and then you’d be ready! It’s Wedensday, August 28 and things are looking really good! It’s raining outside, but that no longer matters. We think Courts 1-3 will be ready for the weekend and Courts 4-7 ready after Labor Day.
Nailing down lines on Court 1
Rolls of insulation stacked on top of the mid-court lounge which will be inserted in the liner of the bubble
More rolls of insulation laid out on Courts 4 and 5
Cleaning the liner of the bubble
Jose rolling Court 1
Courts 1-3 are virtually ready to go. The walkway curtain has been installed, the lights are all working, and all that is left are a few small jobs. These courts should be open on Saturday, August 31. They look great!!!!
The new walkway curtain behind Courts 1-3
Looking from Court 3 towards Court 1
From Court 3 towards the lounge
Still work to be done on Courts 4-7