CRESWELL – It was a slam dunk for youth in Creswell on Monday, after the Creswell City Council approved an amendment to allocate $15,000 for the installation of a half-court basketball court at the Cobalt Activity Center at 364 Cobalt Lane.
This initiative follows community feedback that stressed the need for more sports facilities in Creswell.
Mayor Nick Smith, who also coaches third-grade boys basketball, called this project “his baby,” and emphasized the need for a separate, youth-friendly court with lower hoops to serve younger children and avoid conflicts with older players at existing facilities like Harry Holt Memorial Park.
“They need another place to play, not just the older kids. We need a place for the kids to play,” Smith said.
The desire for additional sports courts, including basketball and tennis, has been identified as the second-highest priority in the 2018 Creswell Parks and Open Space Master Plan, according to finance director Jim Piper, which falls just behind the need for more trail connections.
In the past month, the city received a proposal for the installation of a 50′ x 47′ NBA half-court at the Cobalt Activity Center for a rate of $6.38 per square foot.
The project will be funded by $15,000 from the General Fund contingency, which has a total of $388,625 available.
Undisclosed donors are contributing funds and equipment, reducing city costs, Piper said.
“We’re leveraging those donor items with some city dollars to make a basketball court happen, where we may not have that opportunity at any other time,” Piper said.
Smith noted that the $15,000 estimate will likely be lower.
“Somebody has donated cash and two brand-new NBA-style backboards for this court. So, this $15,000 will not be $15,000; it’s gonna be a lot closer in the $8,000 to $10,000 range, for sure,” Smith said.
Because it constitutes less than 10% of the department’s budget, it did not require a public hearing. The council approved the appropriation and will coordinate with donors and staff to proceed.
