Local News in Brief : Irvine : Tennis Stadium Drive Gets $12,500 Donation

A fund-raising drive for a new tennis stadium at UC Irvine is near its $50,000 financial goal following a recent $12,500 donation by a Newport Beach businessman, university officials said.

Construction on the 500-seat tennis stadium is scheduled to start this summer, with completion by fall. About $25,000 in materials and labor had previously been pledged by local businessmen.

UCI spokesman Scott Nelson said the donation of $12,500 by Frank Arensberg, president of Arensberg Enterprises, a Newport Beach investment company and an active booster of UCI’s athletic programs, leaves only $12,500 remaining to be funded for the tennis stadium.

The stadium is to be constructed on a portion of UCI’s existing tennis courts. UCI’s tennis team was ranked fifth in the nation this year after competing at the NCAA finals in Athens, Ga., late last month.