Pueblo’s tennis eyesore
Pueblo City Park's tennis stadium is closed off to the public because its crumbling apart.
Soon families and athletes from all over the state will be in Pueblo for the State 4A Boys tennis tournament. It’s a shame they’ll get a close up view of perhaps the worst maintained sport’s building in the city.
Close up of erosion.
- The tournament takes place at the City Park tennis courts. I have no complaints about the tennis courts themselves. Almost all of them appear to be in tip-top shape. But from a crumbling stadium to a one-sink bathroom–there are plenty of eyesores at the popular tennis facility.
Let’s start with the old stadium bleachers. A chain-link fence marked with “KEEP OUT” signs surrounds what’s become a slab of crumbling concrete. Weather erosion and other wear-and-tear have taken its toll. There are gaping holes in some spots. A few of them covered with metal panels to keep curious trespassers from hurting themselves. The exposed rebar tips are another clear hazard. Plus, weeds have sprouted up through some of the cracks, turning this once appealing stadium into a disgraceful mess.
The barricaded stadium sits south of the clubhouse, built sometime in the 1930s. The rustic stone building looks quaint from the outside, but go inside and you’ll see a different picture. The restroom facilities are inadequate for the busy flow of traffic they might receive during a state tournament.
Inside men's restroom. Shower area dismantled, floor covered with plywood. There's one bench. No lockers.
About a fourth of the space is taken up by a dismantled shower area. The nozzles and handles have been removed and a sheet of plywood covers the floor. It’s wasted space. Especially considering there’s only one bench for players to use when changing. Lockers would be a luxury, and that’s perhaps why you won’t find any here. There’s nothing luxurious or appealing about the restrooms, which features painted green leaves on the walls and a brown and tan checkered tile floor. But personal tastes aside, there are clear inadequacies. For example: there’s only one sink for dozens of sweaty players. At least there are three private stalls (two toilets and one urinal.)
It’s been a few months since I’ve been in the main room inside the clubhouse. So I’ll reserve my comments on that until a later post.
The last big upgrade the tennis facility had was in 1997/1998. About $900,000 was spent to improve the tennis courts. But why hasn’t the city done anything about the other problems? The tennis courts at City Park are the best in the city. What a shame the restrooms and stadium have become a scar on this popular complex.
