The area where Gilmer Parks and Rec. tennis courts sat for many years will eventually provide something that River Park always needs more of — parking spaces.
The courts just off South Main Street have been demolished over the past few months, and piled rubble is all that remain of them now.
Use of the old courts was discontinued after three new tennis courts and four new pickleball courts opened farther down South Main Street in 2020.
“We’re turning it back into a parking lot. The playground and the walking trail are there, and there’s nowhere near enough parking,” said Kevan White, Gilmer Parks and Rec. director.
White said the area where the courts have been taken up will be paved, and the new parking will include a now-unstriped lot between the former tennis courts and the park pavilion.
“Once we get all the pavement down, we’ll stripe everything,” said White.
The work is expected to be done by the end of the summer, he noted.