UPDATE:  The New Multipurpose Courts are complete and ready for Public use!

The City of Albion is extremely excited about a recreation project set to open in June that will include a tennis court, a pickleball court, and two new half-court basketball courts at the Albion Sports Complex!

The project, which will utilize a post-tension concrete construction process to add stability to the playing surface, was originally pledged to the Albion citizens in 2013 when the new Albion Family Aquatic Center displaced the courts on the south side of Fuller Park.

At the time, it was recognized that the tennis courts at the Sports Complex were in disrepair and needed some serious attention if the community were to retain a viable court surface.

Then, results of community surveys of Albion citizens demonstrated a significant desire for improved outdoor basketball facilities.  Thus, the current design includes a combination of the two sports within the new fence, with an addition of Pickleball – a sport similar to Tennis and Ping Pong – that is also growing in popularity.

Renovation and repair estimates were originally sought in 2014 and were eliminated as viable long-term solutions due to the inferior subsurface soils; thus, the post-tension concrete construction was proposed as a long term solution for the courts.  The process adds stability to the concrete slab and eliminates the need for expansion joints, which often interfere with play on traditional concrete slab courts.

The cement block wall has been demolished and will not be replaced due to safety concerns; however, the plaques honoring Father Henry Schorn and Otto Reich have been retained and will be rededicated at a later time.  Any information and/or history regarding these two figures and the circumstances surrounding the original dedications would be appreciated.

City Staff recently held a pre-construction conference with Tyler Doane, project engineer of JEO Consulting Group; Tanner Hackel of Hackel Construction; and, Chan Laurent of Tennis Courts Unlimited; regarding the new Multipurpose Sports Court Project set for construction this Spring.  The plan is to begin construction around the 1st of April, and to finish by June.