The courts at Montgomery Park are open to the public again after a major renovation. Last year’s harsh winter took a toll on the courts and caused major damage to the surface. The public facility was due for a minor renovation next year, but needed to be bumped up due to the immediate need. Renovation began earlier this month and completed last week.
According to Eugene Loew, waterfront manager for the Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Activities, the inspection will conclude the project this week.
Renovations included repairing and painting the surface and fixing the surrounding fence. Previously balls would get lost under the fence due to leaning posts, now no gaps in the fencing exist. New benches and an additional net have been ordered to complete the project.
Due to several, bright lights that surround the facility, the four courts are popular at night as well as during the day. The courts are part of Montgomery Park, managed by Recreation, Parks, & Cultural Activities and is one of the 38 courts they maintain in the city. Tennis courts are inspected weekly for basic maintenance and about once a year for a detailed inspection.
“Most of them are in fairly good condition. Most of them are extremely playable,” said Bethany Znidersic, urban planner for the city.
Inspections include checking the courts to see if depressions are forming, fencing is in good condition, tennis nets are holding up, night lights are working, and the quality of the benches. The city works with a 10-year outlook and all the courts are scheduled for major or minor repairs 10 years out.
Despite the harsh winter making Montgomery courts come up for major repairs early, Znidersic says that “we stay within budget very well.” To accommodate the unexpected renovations, the schedule of other courts was shifted.
Montgomery Park is free and open to the public. The courts can be used up until 10 p. m. and are located at 901 Royal St N.