By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — New tennis and pickleball courts have been a topic of conversation for years in Claremont, and the long-awaited project is finally coming to fruition.
Claremont Parks and Recreation Director Justin Martin says Pine Hill Construction has been contracted for the work, and the city is looking to break ground at Veterans Park as soon as the weather cooperates.
“This has been a long time coming for our tennis players, and with pickleball being as popular as it now is, this recreational facility complements the trends we are seeing in our community,” said Martin.
The plan is to build a “state-of-the-art” facility at Veterans Park for tennis and pickleball that will be free and open to the public. Martin said in a previous interview that there will be two tennis courts and four pickleball courts, with added amenities like trees, ADA parking, a walking path to and from the courts and the parking area, benches and a water fountain.
The project timeline is from spring 2025 to fall 2025, and Martin said that the city has 100% of the funds it needs to get started. He explained that $299,902.50 came from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which covers the 50% match needed from the $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds that the city set aside for the project.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) went out and returned with Pine Hill Construction as the winning bidder.
“I could not be more excited for the amazing group of tennis and pickleball players in this community,” Martin said. “We are building a state-of-the-art facility that everyone in Claremont should be proud of.
During Martin’s dozen or so years working for the city, he has heard complaints about the conditions of the tennis courts at both Moody Park and Monadnock Park. The courts at Moody Park were condemned because they were labeled to be too dangerous for play and then gated off. Recently they were demolished to create more parking.
Martin said the courts at Monadnock are also in “rough shape, to phrase it politely.”
“We have our regulars who play in a drop-in program on Mondays and Thursdays,” Martin said in an interview in July. “They’ve been quoted to say there’s this ‘Monadnock bounce,’ where if the ball hits this giant crack on the court they’ll replay the point. It’s comical, but at the same time, we understand what that means. It means they’re in bad condition.”
A second public hearing has been scheduled for next month to “relay and update the public with information regarding the tennis/pickleball court project at Veterans Park.
“We invite all interested individuals to attend and participate in the discussion,” a flyer for the event states. “Working together as a community is key when enhancing our city’s facilities.”
The hearing will take place on April 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Claremont Savings Bank Community Center located at 152 South Street.
