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Commission backs $500,000 Rogers Park renovation, to apply for state LPRF grant
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Summary
The Parks and Recreation Commission voted to recommend a $500,000 renovation of Rogers Park and to support a city council resolution authorizing application to the state Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF); the plan includes a $250,000 city match and intends ADA-compliant upgrades and new courts.
The Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Commission on Wednesday voted to recommend the Rogers Park renovation and to authorize staff to seek state Local Parks and Recreation Fund (LPRF) support through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Thomas, a parks staff presenter, said the project would renovate the 7.5-acre Rogers Park at 1115 Hunt Street and carries an estimated price tag of $500,000, with the city contributing $250,000 from its capital improvement plan as a local match. He said the park serves nearby single-family neighborhoods and aims to respond to growth in Murfreesboro.
"The project costs will be a $500,000 renovation," Thomas said, describing aging tennis and basketball courts and a playground that does not meet current ADA or inclusive-play standards. The proposal calls for converting existing tennis courts into a synthetic-turf mini pitch, resurfacing and consolidating two basketball courts into one, and adding three fenced pickleball courts with lighting while preserving trees and sidewalks.
Thomas told commissioners the department intends to meet Title VI and Section 504 requirements, install grant-mandated signage, and include the sport courts in a life-cycle resurfacing plan so courts are renovated on a regular schedule. He said staff expects to meet the three-year grant eligibility window but hopes construction can be completed within a calendar year, noting that final grant sign-off may take longer.
Commissioners asked about keeping park amenities open during construction and about locating Rogers Park; Thomas said walking trails and pavilions would remain available while most work is isolated to the sport court areas and that the playground would close only during its replacement.
The chair moved that the commission recommend and support a council resolution authorizing the LPRF application; the motion carried on a roll call, with members voting in favor. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the city council, which must formally approve the application and the local match before staff submits the LPRF request to TDEC.
If the grant is awarded, the project will be subject to the city procurement process and competitive bidding for construction and equipment. The department said the mini pitch is a prefabricated turf structure intended to support multiple sports and year-round programming.
