Athletic Court Projects

Dunning Sports Complex Court Restoration

(Ward 1, District 13)

• Scope of Work: Reconstruct the existing tennis courts, add 10-and-under lines to the courts, addition of new court amenities, and site furnishing updates.
• Tentative Schedule: 
  • May - Bidding
  • June - July – Bidding/Contracting
  • Sept - Spring 2025 Construction

Updates

• September 24, 2024
  • Demo is complete and the court aggregate has been prepped for paving. Paving to occur week of Sept 30th.
• September 3, 2024
  • Demolition has begun. Please follow all site restrictions. Roadway are to remain open.
  • Students should use Marshall Ave sidewalk to access parking lot to and from school.

For updates on the Groveland Recreation Center athletic court improvements, visit the Groveland Recreation Center Projects page.

For updates on the Merriam Park Recreation Center athletic court improvements, visit the Merriam Park Recreation Center Projects page.

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation Department is beginning construction of the Citywide Outdoor Court Improvement projects planned and designed in 2024. These project are funding through the Common Cent Sales Tax. Construction is beginning this week and below are construction timelines and project improvements specific to each site.

Park Name (Ward/District)      Tentative Construction Timeline (Scope of Work)

Dunning Rec Center (W1/D13)                 9/3 – 2025 (reconstruct tennis courts with 10 & under striping)

Langford Rec Center (W4, D12)                9/4 – 9/9 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping, new composite plastic bangboard to be installed in October, repaint basketball, new basketball hoops) 

West Minnehaha Rec Center (W1, D7)   9/4 – 9/21 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping)

Northdale Rec Center (W5, D10)              9/6 - 9/26 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping)

Arlington Arkwright park (W5, D5)          9/9 – 10/4 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping, repaint basketball, new basketball hoops)

Linwood Rec Center (W2, D16)                 9/11 – 10/13 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping, new composite bangboard to be installed in October, repaint basketball, new basketball hoops)

Edgcumbe Rec Center (W3, D14)              9/16 – 10/4 (repaint west tennis court with 10 & under striping)

Homecroft Park (W3, D15)                         9/21 – 9/28 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping)

Newell & Clayland Parks (W4, D11)         10/4 – 10/13 (repaint basketball and tennis court with pickleball striping and new hoops)

South St. Anthony Park (W4, D12)           10/7 – 10/10 (repaint tennis court with pickleball striping)

Updates

• September 24, 2024
  • The contractor has completed painting of Langford and West Minnehaha courts and painting at Northdale anticipated to be completed by 9/26. Those courts will open once new net posts and nets to arrive in a week. 
• October 28, 2024 
  • Athletic court resurfacing and repainting is complete at Langford Park Rec Center, Arlington Arkwright Park, North Dale Rec Center, West Minnehaha Rec Center, Linwood Rec Center, South Saint Anthony Park, Newell Park, Clayland Park, Edgcumbe Rec Center and Homecroft Park. New tennis practice bangboards will arrive at Linwood and Langford Park recreation centers soon. 

Orchard Park Court Restoration

The Orchard Park courts are now open. There are two dedicated pickleball courts and one tennis court with pickleball lines. 

(Ward 5, District 10)

• Scope of Work: conversion of existing tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts, retaining wall repair (pending structural review), additional court amenities, and site furnishing updates.
• 2024 Schedule: 
  • May - Site Analysis, Construction Documents
  • June - July - Construction
  • August - Restriping 
  • September - Open & Substantially Complete

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why pickleball?

• Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country. There is a strong demand for dedicated pickleball courts within the St. Paul park system.
• We have been hearing a demand for pickleball from residents across the city for years, including within the Como neighborhood.
• We review the work of other agencies across Minnesota and beyond our borders to see how they have met this demand. Many nearby suburbs have outpaced St. Paul by repurposing existing hard surface courts while also building new ones, resulting in a noticeable increase in overall use and activation. The strategy of creating new courts while repurposing existing courts is a defined standard. 

Why Orchard Park?

• We review these types of decisions through a citywide lens. We assess how we can increase the volume and participation of park users across the city, which at times means rethinking the space and its purpose. Today our system has over 75 tennis courts throughout the city. With a fair number of them receiving low volumes of use, court conversion is one method we use to increase activity throughout our system.
• The proposed courts add to the neighborhood system by introducing dedicated pickleball while maintaining dedicated tennis courts less than a mile from the site, reducing conflicts between sports, and providing a better overall user experience.
• Orchard, along with Union Assembly Park at the Highland Bridge site would be the first two parks within the city to feature dedicated pickleball courts.

Why can't the courts remain shared use?

• We routinely receive complaints about multiple lines on one court being distracting and confusing.
• At some of our most high-volume locations we experience challenges between groups regarding court time and access.
• While there are scenarios where courts feature lines for multiple activities, our preference is to separate activities to reduce court conflicts and provide a better user experience.
• There is a sensitive balance of needs around these two sports that we are working to maintain within the city to best accommodate players of each sport. Getting to 7-10 equitably allocated pickleball courts across the city is the desired goal to best meet the demand we are hearing.
• Orchard Park was identified for pickleball conversion because there are 8 publicly accessible courts nearby: 4 are less than a mile away at Como Park Senior High, while additional courts can be found just over a mile from Orchard Park at North Dale and West Minnehaha Recreation Centers. See the Nearby Tennis Courts Location Map in the Project Documents section for locations and suggested routes to nearby tennis courts.

Where can I play Tennis?

•  Orchard Park was identified for pickleball conversion because there are 8 publicly accessible courts nearby: 4 are less than a mile away at Como Park Senior High, while additional courts can be found just over a mile from Orchard Park at North Dale and West Minnehaha Recreation Centers. See the Nearby Tennis Courts Location Map locations and suggested routes to nearby tennis courts.

Webster Park Court Restoration

The Webster Park courts are now open. There are two dedicated pickleball courts and one basketball court. 

(Ward 1, District 8)

• Webster Park court restoration is substantially complete and the courts are open to the public for use.
• Scope of Work: Conversion of the existing tennis courts into dedicated pickleball courts, rebuilding the existing basketball court, addition of new court amenities, and site furnishing updates.
   

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why pickleball?

• Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the country. There is a strong demand for dedicated pickleball courts within the St. Paul park system.
• We have been hearing a demand for pickleball from residents across the city for years.
• We review the work of other agencies across Minnesota and beyond our borders to see how they have met this demand. Many nearby suburbs have outpaced St. Paul by repurposing existing hard surface courts while also building new ones, resulting in a noticeable increase in overall use and activation. The strategy of creating new courts while repurposing existing courts is a defined standard.

Why Webster Park?

• We review these types of decisions through a citywide lens. We assess how we can increase the volume and participation of park users across the city, which at times means rethinking the space and its purpose. Today our system has over 75 tennis courts throughout the city. With a fair number of them receiving low volumes of use, court conversion is one method we use to increase activity throughout our system.
• The proposed courts add to the neighborhood system by introducing dedicated pickleball while maintaining dedicated tennis courts less than a mile from the site, reducing conflicts between sports, and providing a better overall user experience.
• Webster along with Union Assembly Park at the Highland Bridge site would be the first two parks within the city to feature dedicated pickleball courts.

Where can I play Tennis?

• Nearby tennis courts less than a mile away are Carty Park, Linwood Tennis Courts, and Martin Luther King Recreation Center.

Phalen Regional Park Court Resurfacing

The Phalen Regional Park tennis courts are now open. Resurfacing the existing courts is complete. The four tennis courts are also striped 10 & under lines.  

(Ward 5, District 5)

• Scope of Work: Resurface the existing tennis courts.
• Tentative Schedule: 
  • May - Bidding, Contracting
  • June - Construction
  • July - Substantially Complete 
     

2020-2021 - Annual Outdoor Courts Restoration

July 9, 2021:  The project has been award to G Urban Companies. Sites to be improved are Edgcumbe Recreation Center and Prosperity Heights Park. Construction will begin shortly. More updates to come!

May 3, 2021:  Project is out for bid.

April 26, 2021:  Construction documents are close to 100% complete.

January 26, 2021:  Construction documents are being developed with construction anticipated to start Spring 2021.

Edgcumbe Recreation Center (Ward 3, District 14)

•  Scope of Work:  Fully remove and rebuild the eastern two tennis courts, posts, nets and fencing.

Webster Park (Ward 1, District 8) - Bid Alternate

• Scope of Work:  Resurface basketball court including new posts and hoops. Remove single tennis court, tennis practice wall, and tennis fencing as recommended in the Parks and Recreation 2010 Systems plan.

Prosperity Heights Park (Ward 6, District 2) - Bid Alternate

• Scope of Work:  Resurface tennis and basketball courts including new basketball posts and hoops.

Eastview - St. Paul Urban Tennis Courts

St. Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT) operates out of St. Paul Parks and Recreation's Eastview Recreation Center (1675 East 5th Street). SPUT has received support from Parks and Recreation, the community, and St. Paul Parks Commission to develop 5 additional tennis courts at the park to support SPUT's growing programming need. 

The courts will be developed immediately to the east of the newly reconstructed tennis courts and will include a rain garden infiltration basin to manage stormwater. The addition of the courts will allow baseball, soccer, and other sports to be played at the park. A graphic showing the layout can be seen here: Site Layout

SPUT has raised all the funds necessary to design and build the courts and will provide maintenance of the courts and raingarden.

Construction is set to begin Monday June 22nd. The schedule is roughly as follows:

• Demolition and earthwork - 2 weeks
• Paving and fencing - 2 weeks
• Stormwater basin and landscaping/site restoration - 2 weeks
• Pavement curing (no work) - 2 weeks
• Court painting/striping - 1 week
• Work should be complete around the end of August. 

Eastview Park: St. Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT) Courts

The City is working with St. Paul Urban Tennis (SPUT) to add more full tennis courts at Eastview. A community meeting was held on Monday, May 14 at Eastview Recreation Center (view the pdf flyer here). We discussed options for court layout and the project timeline. SPUT anticipates adding the courts later this summer, with fall construction (weather permitting).
Meeting presentation (pdf)
Meeting minutes (pdf)

• Carty Park - Tennis Courts & Resurfacing Basketball Court (Ward 1, District 8)
• W. Minnehaha Recreation Center - Basketball Court & Kato Court (Ward 1, District 7)

• Eastview - Tennis Court (Ward 7, District 2)

• Cayuga Park - Basketball Courts (Ward 1, District 6)
• Martin Luther King Recreation Center - Tennis Court (Ward 1, District 8)
• Baker Recreation Center - Tennis and Basketball Courts (Ward 2, District 3)
• Duluth and Case Recreation Center - Tennis Courts (Ward 6, District 3)