City Moving to Build More Tennis Courts

NEWBURYPORT — As long as the Newburyport high school girls’ tennis team continues its winning way, the school may soon be able to host the state championships on new courts at the Nock Middle School.
The Community Preservation Commission has approved the Newburyport schools’ request for $474,560 to build the new courts on an underutilized softball diamond at the middle school. It still must be approved by the City Council.
Last year, the school district rebuilt two courts the east side of the campus on Johnson Street. Together the school district will have four or five courts together.
The Newburyport High School girls’ tennis team has won state championships the last two years, but did not have enough courts to host the state championships. The state athletic organization requires the host for the championships to have four courts in the same location.
The school district also wanted to have more courts for practice and use in physical education.
The plan, outlined for the CPC, is to build a viewing stand between the existing and proposed courts for spectators.
Supporters raised more than $21,000 to help fund the new courts. More than 100 individuals and organizations contributed $21,000 to the Friends of Newburyport Tennis.
Rosemary Turgeon and others organized a GoFundMe page for donations. The
Institution for Savings donated $2,500, the Joy Nest gave $1,145 and the grandparents of one team member contributed $1,451.
That proposal is one of the largest considered by the CPS this year. The CPC sent to the City Council for approval requests for $75,000 to study replacing the warping and cracking boards on the popular Merrimack River boardwalk; $15,750 for the YWCA Market Street apartments; $65,000 for the rehabilitation of the firefighters’ memorial, $75,000 for the Braunhardt bike trail; $2,265 to replace the William Lloyd Garrison sign on Brown Square; $98,563 for the Woodman Park basketball court, and $231,589 for phase two of the Lower Atkinson improvement project.
The CPC cut a few requests to stay within its budget.
The Custom House restoration project asked for $42,200, but the CPC approved $20,000. The Unitarian Meeting House roof replacement asked for $80,000 and was approved for $64,000.
The Atkinson common rock tower restoration asked for $128,700 and was approved for $100,000. The Inn Street and Patrick Square restoration project asked for $246,000 and was approved for $56,250.