Mysterious Problems Keep Gates Locked at Rec Park Tennis Courts

Experts are trying to determine what can be done to address a perplexing issue that has closed the new tennis courts at Binghamton's Recreation Park.

Workers from Broome Bituminous Products of Vestal stripped off the top asphalt coat from the complex in April. The courts then were resurfaced.

Mayor Jared Kraham had said the material that originally was used on the courts "didn't meet the city's expectations in terms of drainage and repelling water."

Despite the resurfacing work, problems persist with the tennis facility. Kraham said consultants "continue to investigate both water and vapor basically where it shouldn't be on the court."

The mayor said "we're kind of flipping over every rock - literally - to figure out what is the cause of those problems." He said while the city wants to address the matter quickly, he also wants it handled "responsibly."

Kraham said still are questions regarding "some vapors that are coming through the court." He said "it remains a mystery as to why" there is water or vapors still present on sections of the facility.

The mayor said the engineering firm that's been working on the issues has brought in "outside people to look at" the situation.

Kraham said "some of the challenges" at the facility "are kind of new to people who have worked on tennis courts for 20 or 30 years."

The mayor said the experts are continuing to monitor the new surface to try to determine if there's any settling or specific drainage issues occurring.

Kraham said he wants the tennis courts to be open for use as soon as possible, noting the Rec Park site is the most heavily-used site in the city.

The mayor said "it's a strange - almost a phenomenon - with the way that the court surface has been sealed but there's a sort of bubbling up" that's being investigated.

The original cost of the tennis court project was estimated at $1.5 million. It's not known how much more might be spent to address the ongoing problems.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.