SPRINGFIELD, Tenn. (WKRN) — A project three years in the making is nearly complete in Springfield.

According to Springfield Parks and Recreation Director Terry Martin, the city recently opened up two brand new outdoor pickleball courts at one of the city's parks. The park also saw the resurfacing of its five tennis courts, the construction of a brand new restroom facility and the installation of an accessible playground.

All the new park upgrades came from a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant issued by the state to the city back in 2022, Martin told News 2.

Back then, the city applied for and was awarded a $500,000 matching grant, bringing the total price tag for all the park upgrades to $1 million.

"We originally started with the playground — an all-inclusive playground with turf surfacing," Martin told News 2.

The city then constructed a new restroom and pavilion, and converted one of its previous tennis courts into two new outdoor pickleball courts.

"We had six tennis courts, and there's a very large demand for pickleball," Martin said. "We were able to eliminate one of the tennis courts, which would leave us with five still, and we were able to put two pickleball courts on that one tennis court. They've been using them daily."

Having the outdoor courts adds another avenue for pickleball fans in Springfield to play their favorite sport, Martin said.

"We do have several indoor courts, I think, at a couple of the churches. We also have indoor courts at the rec center that we can make available, but these are permanent courts," he said. "People have been hollering for them. The true discussion to come is if two [courts] is going to be enough."

Having an accessible playground also opens up more outdoor recreation activities for children with different needs. Some of the things the city needed to address were its sidewalks in the park area, as well as some playing surfaces, which Martin said were not in compliance with the state's ADA standards.

"We've redone all of those with this grant money," he said. "And, if someone comes down there with a child that is in a wheelchair, it gives them an opportunity because it's a turf surface."

Some of the other accessible features include ramps and an ADA-ride that allows a wheelchair-bound child the same experience of a slide that other children do. There are also sensory panels designed for children with autism to enjoy and some music-making instruments for children to use.

"Of course, we've also got the swings and slides and all that good stuff that most playgrounds have also," Martin said.

The pickleball courts officially opened last week, per Martin, but the playground is awaiting some final checks from the contractors before it is available for the public to use.

After three years of planning and waiting, Martin said it feels "real good" to be at the finish line for the park upgrades.

"I know the community's ready for it, and it's just something that's really exciting for the community," he told News 2. "We've got the south end of town covered; we've got the central area of town, and we've got some great features going on at Travis Price Park, which is on the north end of town."

Martin said the city will host an official ribbon cutting once the playground passes its final test from the contractor.

"I hope to have that in place hopefully by the end of next week," he told News 2.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/springfield-opens-new-pickleball-courts-restrooms-at-garner-street-park/