NEWS RELEASE
Contact: (631) 728-8585
Kristen Doulos, Town Parks Director
kdoulos@southamptontownny.gov
Construction to Begin at Red Creek Park
Tennis and Pickleball Courts Will be the First of Several Projects
Southampton Town Parks and Recreation officials announced today the first details of several construction projects beginning at Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays.
Topping the list is the demolition of six current tennis courts and replacing them with three new ones, as well as eight pickleball courts, and new fencing.
“The existing asphalt courts are 30 years old,” noted Parks Department Director Kristen Doulos. “The new courts will be made with post-tensioned concrete. This can not only double their lifespan, but reduce ongoing maintenance costs and shorten the time that may be required to make any future repairs.”
A post-tensioned concrete tennis court is named after the process used to construct it. Concrete is poured over cables that extend from one end of the court to the other. As the concrete hardens, the cables are slowly tightened to create a tension load within the mixture. This helps prevent the large cracks that eventually occur in asphalt surfaces. Bay Shore-based Landtek Group is set to begin demolition April 1. Once the concrete is poured, the new courts will take about 28 days to cure.
“This project will help meet the growing demand for pickleball courts,” said Town Supervisor Maria Moore. “We are very excited to provide additional playing opportunities to the community. I want to thank my Board colleagues and Parks Department liaisons, Councilwoman McNamara and Councilman Iasilli for their support in moving this project forward in time for the upcoming summer season.”
A recent report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) confirmed pickleball as America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row. Pickleball is also “getting younger every year,” with ages 18-34 representing the largest age bracket of players and constituting 28.8 percent of all players nationwide. The SFIA report places pickleball as one of the biggest sports in America with 36.5 million players, beating out other popular sports like basketball, golf , tennis, baseball, and soccer, and trailing only running and cycling.
Turf Baseball Field, Basketball Courts, and Deck Hockey Rink
As part of the 2024 Capital Budget, the Southampton Town Board has also approved funds to add turf to the dirt infield of Red Creek Park’s west ballfield, and completely remove and replace the basketball courts with new asphalt surfaces, post and net systems, and fencing.
The ballfield, which was originally installed in the early 1980s, was the first field built at the site. When completed, this will be the third infield at the park that has been converted to artificial turf. Doing so has reduced maintenance time and cost, and increased playability as there is no down time during or after rain events. The basketball courts were constructed at the same time as the tennis courts in 1994-95.
According to Town Parks Director Kristen Doulos, this work is currently in the contract phase with the hope of also completing the projects in time for the summer.
The Town has also secured Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that will go toward repairing and replacing the surface of the deck hockey rink in the park. “We are currently getting pricing and options from vendors but are hopeful that this work can also be completed in the coming months,” said Doulos. “A couple of generations have played on these courts, including myself and now my son and they are showing their age,” said Doulos. “These improvements will allow for decades more of enjoyment.”
For additional information, those interested may consult the Town’s website for the latest information on Red Creek Park and all Southampton Town facilities by visiting www.southamptontownny.gov/parksrec
