Bella Casey, Taylor Horner
The Tulsa parks system would be revamped.
The City of Tulsa has launched the largest effort in Tulsa Parks history to upgrade nearly every playground and sports court across the city’s parks system, with improvements planned for 98 percent of the city’s sports courts, as well as 29 playground replacements, two playground additions and 20 improvement projects for existing playgrounds.
“We’re going to renovate a lot of the sports courts, but the use will remain the same,” said Anna America, parks director and cultural director, “but we’re going to be remodeling quite a few. We’re also going to be adding pickleball courts and basketball courts, both of which are really lacking.”
America recalled the first time she saw the state of Tulsa’s parks while on the city council, she was astonished at the number of cracked sidewalks and overgrown tennis courts in parks throughout the city.
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“I mean, as a city council member, it was really horrifying to see how badly we let it go, and I didn’t really realize that,” America said.
Sports courts will be updated or remodeled to maximize accessibility and use. Playgrounds will be equipped with modern play equipment and future playground updates will be determined based on community input. Safety and accessibility features will be added to many parks.
The playground renovations, valued at $9.8 million, will be funded through the Improve our Tulsa I and II capital improvement packages, as well as other parks funds, grants and private partnerships. The sports court renovations and upgrades will be funded through Improve our Tulsa II, with a total cost of $4.8 million.
The first phase of sports court renovations will cost approximately $900,000 and will include 32 new pickleball courts, five new basketball courts, three new volleyball courts, one new futsal court, new “all sports” courts for sports such as field hockey, bike polo, futsal and court soccer, and one new court for the traditional Myanmar sport of chinlone. 33 existing tennis courts and 11 basketball or half-basketball courts will have their surfaces resurfaced.
The 2022 Tulsa Parks Condition Assessment assessed the condition and playability of 109 play areas in 88 of the city’s parks to determine what improvements are needed. The improvements were made based on responses to the 2020 “Let’s Talk Tulsa Parks” survey. Responses to the survey included requests for more lighting, fencing and different play equipment in certain parks, according to U.S.A.
“You know, we’ve all seen those playgrounds where you’re like, ‘Oh, this isn’t going to really excite my kid,'” America says. “And we want them to feel like, ‘Wow,’ every time they go to the playground.”
Some playgrounds only need minor renovations. For example, 17-year-old Vincent Kidwell said the only thing he’d like to see changed at Woodward Park is the swings.
“It’s nice, but the chains are a little worn, and I get orange stains on my hands every time I swing on it,” Kidwell said. “So I think it’s time to replace it.”
Renovations have already begun at McClure and Hicks parks, with work set to begin on 22 other sports courts. Renovations to the sports courts and playgrounds are scheduled to continue through 2026.
Parks planned for improvement
Playground Improvements
Aaronson
Admiral
Veil
Benton
Berry
Boeing
Boots Adams
Braden
Challenger 7
chamberlain
Clerk
Cowan
Crutchfield
Dawson
Dream Keepers
East Park Track
Fred Johnson
Graham
H.B. Johnson
Heller
Henthorn
Hicks
Highland
hill
Howard
Kendall Whittier
Lake View
Lantz
leak
Lloyd
love
Manion
New Block
Norberg
Nobel
Pierre Sticker
Pratt
Riggs
Rose Dew
Shannon I & II
Skelly
Starks Cheyenne
Summer Glen
The lake of swan
terrace
Terwilliger
Tracy
Turner
Williams
Woodward
Zeigler
Sports Court Improvements
Aaronson
Admiral
Archer
B.C. Franklin
Berry
Boeing
Boots Adams
Braden
bullet
Carbondale
Challenger 7
chamberlain
Chittum Clinton
Clerk
Cowan
Crutchfield
Darlington
Adventurer
Florence
Graham
H.B. Johnson
Heller
Henthorn
Hicks (in progress)
Highland
Holiday Hills
Hunter
Kendall Whittier
Lacey
Lake View
Langenheim
leak
Lloyd
love
Manion
Maxwell
McClure (in progress)
Norberg
Nobel
penny
Philpot
Lead
Rose Dew
Schlegel
Skelly
Starks Cheyenne
Terwilliger
Tracy
Ute
Winning
West Highlands
Whiteside
Zeigler
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