Officials in Hamden, Conn., are in negotiations with the United States Tennis Association over grant money that could help fund the overhaul of worn-out courts in the community.
As reported by the New Haven Register, the USTA has said it won't cover the cost of the four tennis courts if they are also lined for pickleball.
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Officials in Hamden, Conn., are in negotiations with the United States Tennis Association over grant money that could help fund the overhaul of worn-out courts in the community.
As reported by the New Haven Register, the USTA has said it won't cover the cost of the four tennis courts if they are also lined for pickleball.
The asphalt courts, believed to be 20 to 30 years old, according to one town official, are in dire need of replacement. Deep cracks, slippery surfaces and other hazardous conditions closed the courts in April 2024, displacing Hamden High School student-athletes and curtailing access for residents, the Register reported.
"Hamden's Public Works department sealed the cracks and the courts reopened a few months later," Austin Mirmina of the Register wrote. "Now, the town is pursuing a long-term fix that it believes will ensure safety, improve the quality of play and meet growing demand in both tennis and pickleball."
"I believe this project is a much-needed improvement that will benefit a wide cross section of our community," Tom Dyer, athletic director for Hamden Public Schools, wrote in a letter to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
To replace the eight courts, Hamden will grind up and remove the existing asphalt, then lay down a fresh layer. The project also calls for fencing, netting and lighting upgrades.
Pickleball lines, which were added to the courts during last year's temporary repairs, will be redrawn as part of the upgrade. Plans show that four of the tennis courts will each have two pickleball courts, for a total of eight.
Per Mirmina's reporting, Hamden has decided to resurface the courts with asphalt instead of post-tensioned concrete – a more durable but costlier option. Post-tensioned concrete, which is reinforced with steel cables, requires "specialized construction practices," making it more expensive to maintain and eventually remove, Town Engineer Stephen WhiteWhite said. That option would have cost about $1.2 million to $1.3 million, roughly twice as much as asphalt.
White estimates the entire project will cost $850,000. Hamden has allocated $500,000 in bonded money from its fiscal year 2025 capital plan for the courts and a $152,000 donation from Quinnipiac University. It also has some capital improvement money from the state that can help fill in the gaps, White said.
"So far, as part of the [USTA grant] requirements, they can only be striped for tennis but we’ll see when we get down to the final conversation what it is we get from them," White said.
Dan Pyser, a USTA spokesperson, said in a statement that Hamden's tennis court project was in the "technical review stage," a process used to "ensure all new construction and reconstruction projects meet industry standards." Once the review is successfully completed, project officials can apply for grant funding.
However, he noted that, for courts receiving USTA funding, officials must wait five years before adding permanent lines for other sports, such as pickleball.
"This does not mean that other sports cannot be played on these courts, just that permanent lines for other sports cannot be added," Pyser said.
Under those rules, Hamden’s four courts slated for pickleball striping would not qualify for USTA funding. White acknowledged that a portion of the courts would be ineligible for the money, saying the town was "attempting to balance the tennis and pickleball courts to get the most money and still provide play space for both."
