Perham-Dent School Board Approves $1.4 Million Tennis Court Renovation Project

Eight regulation tennis courts could be ready for play at Perham High School by August after the Perham-Dent School Board approved an updated project design at its monthly meeting on Tuesday, March 17.

The $1.4 million estimate covers a full rebuild of the existing courts, including design fees and contingencies. The actual price won't be confirmed until bid documents open in early May.

ICS Consulting representative Justin Maaninga and Widseth representative Trevor Guck attended the meeting to walk the board through the design, which remained largely consistent with the version presented in February. The board approved the design with a few updates.

The project calls for eight regulation-sized courts arranged in two groups of four on a concrete base, situated in roughly the same location as the current courts but shifted about 10 feet to the south. Maaninga explained the move was deliberate: "That was just to get about 25 feet all the way around it; just to get some space from the residential lots there (north of the tennis courts)."

A 10-foot fence will surround the complex, with V-shaped sections between each court designed to keep errant balls from crossing onto adjacent courts. Pedestrian access runs through two-foot-wide gaps in the fencing, while two larger gates will accommodate maintenance equipment. The board settled on an 8-foot width for those gates after considering other options.

Gate placement also drew discussion. The original design positioned the maintenance gates on the north and south sides of the complex, but board member Cordell Huebsch recommended moving them to the west side, which abuts First Avenue South, and relocating them to the corners of the fence line.

With design approval secured, the next milestone is the opening of bid documents in early May, when the district will learn the actual construction cost before moving toward a contract award.