Tonawanda Sports Center (100 Ridge Road)
Dublin Core
Title
Tonawanda Sports Center (100 Ridge Road)
Description
In April 1974 construction began on the massive Twin City Racquet Club / Tonawanda Sports Center complex on Ridge Road in North Tonawanda, behind the high school. The 6-acre recreational--whose budget ballooned from $2 to over $5 million-- were co-owned by Drs. Dudley Turecki and Syde Taheri.
The ice hockey pavilion (now NT Inter-Church Food) boasted twin indoor ice rinks, one of which hosted the North American Hockey League Buffalo Norsemen for one season, 1975-76. The Buffalo Sabres would practice there for a short time following the Norsemen's abrupt exit from the league (1977 def.). It was meant to be the home rink of the Junior A League team The Tondas, and was later known as "Tonawanda Ice Time." NTHS played at least some games there. In December 1980, the Jr. Sabres play Grimsby there, and UB's Buffalo hockey Bulls played there. Also figure skating, community lessons, at least one broomball match, and the hilariously titled 1976 bicentennial extravaganza, "America On Ice." In January 1978, the Rec Dept holds second annual Winter Carnival there, w snowball fights, cross-country skiing, ice sculptures. Apparently another "Tondas," Junior C amateur team, plays there in 1978. Headquarters of Lumberjack Television Cable System.
The tennis complex (now Sportsplex) was first called the Twin City Racquet Club. Its two steel buildings each contained six full, state-of-the-art tennis courts, and covered over 85K square feet. Eventually it would boast a pro shop, a second floor banquet facility, and men's and women's locker rooms replete with lounges and saunas. When it was built, it dwarfed rival facilities in Orchard Park and Williamsville. After a strong start, the club lost direction by the end of the decade. In 1980 the MISL's (Major Indoor Soccer League) Buffalo Stallions rented half the facility for a practice space, replacing four tennis courts in the southern building with an indoor soccer field. Seeing an opportunity, in August 1981 the Stallions purchased the entire facility, and it was rechristened Stallion Soccer World. They sold Stallions merchandise and pro soccer gear. The Stallions ran their own wildly popular indoor soccer leagues, with participants ranging in age from 8 to middle age, topping 160 teams in 1982. The last two tennis courts in the southern building were replaced when a mini soccer field was added.
The ice hockey pavilion (now NT Inter-Church Food) boasted twin indoor ice rinks, one of which hosted the North American Hockey League Buffalo Norsemen for one season, 1975-76. The Buffalo Sabres would practice there for a short time following the Norsemen's abrupt exit from the league (1977 def.). It was meant to be the home rink of the Junior A League team The Tondas, and was later known as "Tonawanda Ice Time." NTHS played at least some games there. In December 1980, the Jr. Sabres play Grimsby there, and UB's Buffalo hockey Bulls played there. Also figure skating, community lessons, at least one broomball match, and the hilariously titled 1976 bicentennial extravaganza, "America On Ice." In January 1978, the Rec Dept holds second annual Winter Carnival there, w snowball fights, cross-country skiing, ice sculptures. Apparently another "Tondas," Junior C amateur team, plays there in 1978. Headquarters of Lumberjack Television Cable System.
The tennis complex (now Sportsplex) was first called the Twin City Racquet Club. Its two steel buildings each contained six full, state-of-the-art tennis courts, and covered over 85K square feet. Eventually it would boast a pro shop, a second floor banquet facility, and men's and women's locker rooms replete with lounges and saunas. When it was built, it dwarfed rival facilities in Orchard Park and Williamsville. After a strong start, the club lost direction by the end of the decade. In 1980 the MISL's (Major Indoor Soccer League) Buffalo Stallions rented half the facility for a practice space, replacing four tennis courts in the southern building with an indoor soccer field. Seeing an opportunity, in August 1981 the Stallions purchased the entire facility, and it was rechristened Stallion Soccer World. They sold Stallions merchandise and pro soccer gear. The Stallions ran their own wildly popular indoor soccer leagues, with participants ranging in age from 8 to middle age, topping 160 teams in 1982. The last two tennis courts in the southern building were replaced when a mini soccer field was added.
Items
Former Tonawanda Sports Center facilities, photo set (Dennis Reed Jr., 2025).jpg
Twin City Racquet Club, Soccer World, Sportsplex; Tonawanda Ice Time, NT Inter-Church Food Pantry, Twin Cities Community Outreach, Inc.