Manhattan’s first-ever post-tensioned tennis courts officially opened at CiCo Park on Aug. 29, with many community members attending the opening ceremony to celebrate the project’s completion.

Aaron Stewart, director of Manhattan Parks and Recreation, said the opening was part of the Strategic Facility Improvement Plan, a long-term development started in 2014 and 2015. 

“We built the recreation centers as well as the Steel and Pipe Supply Ballpark,” Stewart said. “The tennis courts are identified as a major piece of that study.”

The 0.25% quality of life sales tax in Manhattan funded these recreational additions. Of the money the sales tax generated, $17.5 million went toward the CiCo Park project, with the tennis courts taking up $2.4 million. 

Grace Geisbrecht, junior in athletic training, said it is important to provide community members with a designated space for outdoor exercise.

“It is beneficial for people to be active,” Geisbrecht said. “The new renovations of the tennis courts provide space for that. It was hard for us to find good available tennis courts because the other ones were in bad shape and beat up.” 

Stewart said the three older courts were previously described as unusable and were then identified for replacement. Expanding from three to eight, the new courts provide the Manhattan community more accessibility and designate a facility for the Manhattan High School tennis team.

“Our goal is to eventually host tournaments including high school regionals and also with the United States Tennis Association (USTA),” Stewart said. “We’d like to see a significant increase [in the] Tennis programming at that location. … The real purpose to build them is for our local users, including our youth and adults for both drop-in use and new programs.”