Colorado city of Wheat Ridge awarded large USTA grant to renovate Panorama Park tennis courts
Wheat Ridge's Parks and Recreation department got a boost this past month with a sizable grant from the United States Tennis Association. It's to renovate and revamp the courts at Panorama Park, a community staple for Coloradans like Jarret Sutphin who have lived in the area for a long time.
CBS
"I used to play league tennis here with a bunch of friends that I played with in high school and we'd have league teams here," he said.
But lately, Sutphin and his friends haven't been able to play here. The courts fell into disrepair in the last five years and have forced Jarret and others to journey to other towns like neighboring Arvada to participate in leagues and matches.
"The court kind of got dilapidated and we haven't been able to play here," he added.
The fencing around the court is aged, there are cracks in the court foundation with shrubs and weeds growing out of them. But Wheat Ridge Parks & Rec knew how important the courts are to the community and Panorama Park itself.
CBS
"These are really heavily used courts since the 50s and as you can see heavily due for replacement," said Brandon Altenburg, who handles grant writing and applications for the city's department.
The entire project pencils out to roughly $1.2 million, paid for through Parks and Recreation's general fund, but roughly $140,000 will come from a grant set aside by the USTA. It's one of the largest grants they've ever awarded an American city.
"The huge increase in need that we're seeing for tennis infrastructure, USTA significantly increased the amount of grant dollars available," said Angela Finan, who represents UTSA Colorado.
In past years, the organization had somewhere between $1 and $2 million to dole out to city projects and those requesting grant money for other tennis related projects. That number has jumped to around $10 million, allowing the UTSA to be more active in projects like the Panorama Park court restoration. In addition to the new surfaces and netting, there will also be new lights and improvements to an adjacent basketball court on site. Colorado has one of the highest participation rates in the nation for tennis so the importance of park courts -- places that are free and open to anyone -- was vital for Wheat Ridge to fix and maintain.
"It's built up this reputation as a great tennis space in Wheat Ridge and it's a really nice walkable area," said Parks & Recreation Director Karen O'Donnell.
The project will take some time to complete, but once it does residents like Sutphin will be able to walk or ride their bike to the park instead of driving to a different town.
"For the young kids that are coming up and wanting a place to learn to the older people that have been playing their whole life, somewhere to go out, hang out, play with their friends, learn the sport and enjoy the sport," he said.
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