Kingston Reopens Loughran Park Courts After $840K Renovation Project

Three years of planning, seven months of construction, and one upstate New York winter standing between Kingston pickleball players and their new courts — that wait ended this week when the city formally celebrated the reopening of Loughran Park's fully rebuilt tennis and pickleball complex.

Construction work included demolition of the existing tennis and pickleball courts and fencing, and the installation of two tennis and eight pickleball asphalt courts, fencing, and bioretention swale landscaping — all of it funded by an $840,000 appropriation drawn from the City of Kingston Recreation Trust Fund. Kingston lawmakers approved the spending in early 2025, with Arold Construction Company of Kingston breaking ground on August 18 of that year.

Construction was completed in November 2025, but an early snowfall closed the courts for the winter. A ribbon cutting was planned for spring 2026, with the courts set to open to the public as soon as the weather allowed. Kingston officials gathered to mark the occasion during the week of March 23, 2026, with a press conference held on Friday, March 27.

The scope of the rebuild went well beyond a simple resurfacing. The project maintains the pre-existing footprint of the courts, improves subgrade conditions, adds green infrastructure practices to improve drainage, and increases player capacity. Pickleball sound mitigation was also built into the project; PSM Consulting LLC conducted a study to understand the nature of pickleball sound and appropriate mitigation methods, with recommendations including the installation of sound-reflective barriers and upgraded fencing height and strength incorporated into the final design. The plan also involved switching the physical locations of the pickleball and tennis courts and instituting a prohibition on pickleball play on the tennis courts.

Project Manager Jack Schoonmaker captured how long the Kingston pickleball community had been waiting: "It is exciting to be breaking ground on this project, three years in the making. I want to thank the pickleball community for their patience and assistance in developing this plan."

Parks and Recreation Director Lynsey Timbrouck added: "I am thrilled for the kick-off of this much anticipated project! These improvements will be another step in providing safe and enjoyable recreation facilities and green spaces for the community and visitors, which is of the utmost importance to our department."

Going from a park where players like Norm Friedman and Larry Silver were sharing lines with tennis players back in 2019 to a dedicated eight-court complex with engineered drainage and sound barriers is a meaningful upgrade for any municipal pickleball scene. Funding came entirely from the City of Kingston Recreation Trust Fund, meaning no state grants or outside financing were required to deliver the project. Arold Construction Company of Kingston handled the build, with City Engineer John Schultheis managing the procurement process.

With the courts now open and the snow long gone, Kingston's pickleball community has eight fresh asphalt courts to fill.