Olathe will install new basketball courts at Black Bob Park. Not everyone loves it
The Olathe City Council has approved a project that will put in new basketball courts at Black Bob Park.
The new basketball courts are expected to be done by this fall.
Some members of the community expressed dissatisfaction with the plan in an online Olathe Facebook group. About 110 people voted on a poll that the project “is not a priority” and about 32 votes said the “money could be used for more important needs in the community.”
They don’t use the court that’s currently there,” one member wrote.
“I love basketball but I think that should go to more baseball training tools, a soccer experience, outdoor workout equipment, or improved farmer’s market experience. The current court is nice but isn’t used.”
Olathe Chief Communications Officer Cody Kennedy said that the city has identified the spot as “an aging structure that needed to be replaced.”
“This court is a highly visible asset and has seen significant usage over the years,” Kennedy said. “The slab is cracked and needed to be replaced and resurfaced. We look forward to making this amenity available in the near future for many more decades to come”
Details of new basketball courts at Black Bob Park
The council unanimously voted to approve the project agreement with McConnell Associates Corp. on their meeting on May 19.
The project is expected to cost about $228,000 and construction will start immediately.
The courts will be constructed with post-tensioned concrete that will make the court stronger, more flexible and less prone to cracking according to the council agenda item report.
This project is one of several park upgrades that are coming to Olathe.
