Sanborn Park Pickleball Courts: The City of Robbinsdale has delayed plans to build new pickleball courts at Sanborn Park after all construction bids came in well over the budget. On June 17, city officials announced that new plans must be made to meet grant requirements set by the U.S. Tennis Association.
Budget Concerns and Grant Changes
In April, the Robbinsdale City Council approved a $300,000 budget from the capital improvements fund for new tennis and pickleball courts. Officials also hoped to get extra funding from the U.S. Tennis Association.
But when bids arrived, they ranged from $470,500 to $818,000 — far beyond what the city planned to spend.
“Given the combination of the lowest bid being significantly higher than the budgeted amount, and the need to make substantive amendments to the plans and specs in order to be eligible for grant funding, we decided that the best course of action would be to reject all bids, amend the plans and specs, and then go out for bid again,” said Richard McCoy, city engineer and public works director.
Court Direction and Surface Must Change
To meet grant rules, the city must also turn the courts from their current layout to run north to south.
Council Member Raymond Blackledge asked why this was necessary.
“If it’s anything other than north-south, the chances either in the morning or the afternoon, one side or the other’s gonna have sun in their eyes. So I believe that is the reason why,” McCoy explained.
He added that tree cover at Sanborn Park may reduce the issue, but the U.S. Tennis Association’s standards must be followed.
New Materials for Courts
Another required change is the type of surface. The courts must use either asphalt or post-stressed concrete, not regular reinforced concrete.
McCoy told the Sun Post that asphalt would likely be chosen.
“You’ve got to do a whole bunch of engineering and calculations to figure that out,” he said of post-stressed concrete. “And to do that for a tennis court is just way overkill.”
He added, “I would’ve preferred to do it in concrete because you can get better grade control on the concrete than you can on asphalt,” but said the city would follow the grant rules if it means saving money.
What Comes Next
The City Council voted 5-0 to reject all current bids and start fresh. Council Member Mia Parisian asked if the second round of bids would arrive faster. McCoy said he was unsure, since city bidding laws require a certain timeline. He also noted that different companies may bid depending on whether asphalt or concrete is used.
News in Brief: Sanborn Park Pickleball Courts
Plans for new pickleball courts at Sanborn Park in Robbinsdale are delayed. All bids were over budget, and new grant rules require changes to the layout and materials. The city will revise the plans and seek new bids, likely switching to asphalt to meet funding rules and lower costs.
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