(ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) City crews have reopened three tennis courts at the Northside Recreational Complex in St. Joseph after renovations to the courts.

The reopening of the courts is a welcomed sight for tennis plays as city crews have been working on 18 courts in St. Joseph. The weather has pushed back construction plans which has led to the closures overlapping across town.

The work done on the northside complex and on other courts is to replace the surface with a new floating surface. This surface will go on top of the existing surface without attaching to it. The city usually opts to replace the courts with new asphalt but are trying the new surfaces this time. 

Chuck Kempf, the city's parks department director, says the asphalt limited the lifespans of the courts. During usual freeze/thaw cycles, cracks would usually develop on the courts. This new style of courts, Kempf says, should prevent that from happening and will hopefully make the courts last longer.

"We are just hopeful that this will pay off, that these courts will last several years instead of year and a half two years which we kind of know with asphalt that's we would have gotten out of them," he said.

The project, being funded by Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds, cost the city $143,000. Similar work is being done at Hyde Park with a bill of $140,000.

The new type of courts cost nearly the same amount as asphalt, according to Kempf.

The new courts at the northside complex will also be able to be used for pickleball, a growing game in St. Joseph. With these new courts, people can now play the game at Bode, Hyde Park, and the northside complex.

Kempf says that work continues at other tennis courts across town and expects the courts to reopen at Hyde Park by the end of next week.