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Council splits Tokay courts: approves resurfacing with half pickleball, half tennis after debate over conversion
Summary
After debate about tournament potential and resident access, council rejected a full conversion of Tokay tennis courts to pickleball and approved resurfacing Tokay with half the courts configured for pickleball and half retained for tennis, sequencing work with the new Masrick tennis complex.
Council members on Aug. 4 debated competing priorities for tennis and pickleball facilities and ultimately approved resurfacing Tokay Park's courts with a split layout: half configured for pickleball and half for tennis.
Why it matters: Staff said the city has an opportunity to use Economic and Community Development (ECD) federal funds that have a fiscal deadline; resurfacing the Tokay courts is time-sensitive, and council wanted to balance tournament potential with everyday resident access.
Background and debate: Parks and recreation staff, led by Michael Gibson, presented the Tokay option in the context of a recent parks master plan and other tennis investments, including a new tennis complex (Masrick 3) that will include 10 hard courts and a championship court plus pickleball facilities. Council members discussed whether to convert all Tokay courts to pickleball (which proponents said could attract tournaments and tourism) or retain tennis capacity for local players.
Mayor Pro Tem moved to convert all Tokay courts to pickleball after Masrick 3 and Masrick 1 are resurfaced; that motion failed. Council then approved a motion to resurface Tokay and configure half the courts for pickleball and half for tennis; the motion passed. Staff emphasized the resurfacing and sequencing would be coordinated with completion of Masrick 3 and planned resurfacing at Masrick 1 so local tennis capacity is maintained during the transition. Council instructed staff to provide a schedule showing when each site will be taken offline and returned to service so community play is not unduly disrupted.
Staffing, funding and timing: Staff said Masrick 3 construction is imminent; Masrick 1 resurfacing is planned; Tokay work will be scheduled so Federal ECD funds can be drawn down this fiscal year and so community capacity is not interrupted. Staff said resurfacing is generally quicker than building new courts, but added that resurfacing and reconfiguration work require seasonal curing windows and planning to avoid closure during peak use.
Ending: Parks staff will return with a sequencing plan, budget and timeline for resurfacing and court conversion matched to federal funding timetables.
