CLAREMONT — The city has been awarded a $300,000 federal grant for construction of outdoor pickleball and tennis courts at Veterans Park.
The money from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund will be added to the $300,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds the city has set aside for the project.
City Manager Yoshi Manale told the City Council Wednesday that the final approval has to come from the governor and Executive Council, which will likely be later this year.
A timeline for when construction can begin on four pickleball courts and two tennis courts and when they will be ready for play is not yet available, Parks and Recreation Director Justin Martin said Thursday. He still has to meet with the contractor to finalize plans.
A major part of the construction will be removal of the former outdoor pool, which was closed and later buried. To ensure the ground is stable, Martin said, workers will need to excavate the pool before doing the foundation work.
Presently, pickleball is played indoors at the community center. There are four tennis courts at Monadnock Park but their condition has deteriorated with large cracks. Once the new tennis courts are built, the Monadnock courts will be removed, Manale said.