Medford's Playstead Park tennis courts back open for business

By Ryan Fiore | Correspondent

City officials gathered Wednesday, July 8, to host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the grand re-opening of the newly refinished tennis courts at Playstead Park.

The refurbishing project actually rebuilt the park's four aging tennis courts, which were destroyed after decades of wear and tear. The Community Preservation Committee allocated nearly $250,000 for the project.

The courts had been closed for construction since April 6 and only reopened just after the ribbon was cut. Following the re-opening of the courts' gates, Medford city staff christened the newly renovated courts by playing a few matches on the new surfaces.

The project didn’t focus on adding new amenities. Instead, it was centered around restoring structure to the park's deteriorating tennis courts.

"So, what you're seeing right here is essentially a one-to-one replacement," said Medford Community Preservation Act Manager Theresa Dupont.

"We didn't really improve or add any additional courts — they were just in such a horrible condition," Dupont said. "I think they were originally installed maybe 20 or 25 years ago, and these types of court surfaces, especially after so much exposure to the sun and grease, just deteriorate a little bit faster."

According to Dupont, reconstruction was much more than simply resurfacing the courts.

"We basically took it all the way down to the substrate, the dirt level," she said. "There's three different courses: coarse aggregate, and then fine sand, and then it gets powered down. So, if we were to cut through it, you'd see five different things. It was a full restoration."

These recent improvements to Playstead Park's tennis courts are a part of a broader effort to overhaul and renovate parks and public spaces across Medford throughout 2026. The city has already announced an investment of over $2.4 million in park renovations this year. Other renovations include the addition of a nature play area at Logan Park and the recent shade improvements at Riverside Plaza, which focused on adding shade umbrellas to the patio and an accessible, shaded, floating deck.

The refurbished tennis court is not the only improvement to Playstead Park. Earlier this year, the city painted a pathway between the parking lane and lawn on Playstead Road in an effort to promote pedestrian safety. 

The city is still in the process of implementing additional improvements to the park, such as accessible parking spaces outside the new court that are currently being paved.