The new tennis courts at Recreation Park in Binghamton finally are getting some use - from skateboarders, dogwalkers and bike riders. They still can't be used for tennis.

The long-running saga of the tennis court replacement project at the popular West Side park continues with no end in sight.

Tennis lovers have been waiting to play on the new courts for years. Then-Mayor Richard David proposed the project in September 2019. He said addressing drainage issues at the site would be a priority.

FLASHBACK: The old Rec Park tennis courts were closed in November 2020. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
FLASHBACK: The old Rec Park tennis courts were closed in November 2020. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Broome Bituminous Products of Vestal was hired as the general contractor. The old courts were closed in November 2019 and ground was broken for the project the following spring.

The new tennis courts were used for a few months in 2021 but the facility was closed when surface water problems became evident.

FLASHBACK: Paving operations at the future tennis complex on April 28, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
FLASHBACK: Paving operations at the future tennis complex on April 28, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Last April, Mayor Jared Kraham said the material Broome Bituminous used for the court surface "didn't meet the city's expectations in terms of drainage and repelling water." At the time, he said remedial work was expected to take two months to complete.

But problems persisted after last summer's work and city officials now don't know when the tennis courts will be ready for play.

A worker at the new Recreation Park tennis facility on September 7, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
A worker at the new Recreation Park tennis facility on September 7, 2021. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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In an email to WNBF News, Deputy Mayor Megan Heiman said additional construction work should start in the next several weeks. She wrote there will be "a full replacement of the playing surface." The work is being done after a test strip was installed and evaluated last year.

Some park visitors have expressed concern that the unopened tennis courts aren't secured. In recent days, they've been used by people on rollerblades, skateboards and bicycles. They're also popular with parents with strollers, dog owners walking their pets and people operating remote control cars.

The Recreation Park tennis courts on April 18, 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
The Recreation Park tennis courts on April 18, 2023. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Heiman said park rangers monitor for possible misuse "like rollerblading or dogs off leash."

When Mayor David proposed replacing tennis courts at Recreation Park and MacArthur Park, he estimated the total cost of both projects at $600,000. That figure eventually soared to $1.5 million just for the work at Rec Park.

Concrete bleachers were constructed on the east side of the new tennis courts. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Concrete bleachers were constructed on the east side of the new tennis courts. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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There's no estimate for how much the repair work will add to the Rec Park project. According to Heiman: "Any subsequent work following issues with original installation will be paid by contractors/consultants, not the City."

Last month, the organizers of a tennis tournament that had been held at the park for nearly three decades would no longer take place because the venue would not meet new Association of Tennis Professionals guidelines.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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