News
Cleanup under way at tennis courts
Last week's storm damage is costly for city
Journal Photo by Bruce Chapman
Eric Byrd of the recreation and parks department washes off the hard tennis courts at Hanes Park.
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Published: May 15, 2008
Randy Pate arrived at the Hanes Park tennis complex Friday morning to discover the damage done by 3 feet of water in his pro shop and 3 inches of mud on the tennis courts.
Pate opened his tennis academy at Hanes Park about two months ago -- just in time for one of the park's most serious floods. Last Thursday's storm turned Hanes Park into Hanes Pond.
Mud still covers portions of the track, the playground and the tennis courts.
In February, the city of Winston-Salem spent about $21,800 to resurface the 14 clay courts at the park in anticipation of Pate's arrival. Yesterday, the city signed a contract with Whalen Tennis Co. to completely redo eight of those courts at a cost of $97,680.
"I could have cried," said Tim Grant, the city's recreation and parks director. "Friday morning when I went down there -- literally, I could have cried."
City crews have started to power- wash the mud from the hard tennis courts and clean up the pro shop. Water inside the shop ruined about half of Pate's inventory.
Pate, his employees and volunteers from the community have begun to remove mud from six of the clay courts. But the other eight clay courts needed more than washing. The water tore holes in the courts along the fences and the nets. It washed away the top layer of clay to expose the hard surface beneath.
The city is racing to repair the courts in time for the largest statewide junior-tennis tournament, the Tar Heel Qualifier, which is scheduled for May 31. Pate said that the tournament will bring 600 to 800 families to the park.
"We will be happy that after an incredible storm like that we will still be able to have these events," Pate said.
Grant said that three companies put in bids to work on the clay courts. Whalen Tennis Co. of Asheville was the only one that could start work immediately. The company told the city that the courts should be redone in time for the tournament, and it plans to start work today.
Whalen's bid came in under the $100,000 mark. Anything more than that has to be approved by the Winston-Salem City Council, and that process would have delayed repairs by at least a month.
"Part of what my vision has been is to try to revitalize the tennis down at Hanes Park," Grant said, "and we had turned the corner on that, and to have this happen was very deflating."
Grant said that the city may have more storm-related bills coming soon. The city has not determined whether water damage to the track or baseball field at Hanes Park will require repairs.
The city is also waiting for an estimate at Miller Park, he said. The park's gymnasium was flooded during the storm. Its floor has to be ripped up, and a portion of it has to be replaced. He expects that work to cost about $14,000.
■ Blair Goldstein can be reached at 727-7284 or at bgoldstein@wsjournal.com.
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Thursday's relish stories will appear in the Entertainment section.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( lewissalem ) on May 15, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
This is sad. The facilities at Hanes Park are wonderful. I hope the clean up goes well.
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