Proposed future site of the sand volleyball court at Tietze Park. Photo by Renee Umsted.
Friends of Tietze Park is hoping to install a sand volleyball court at the neighborhood park.
Tietze Park, which was founded in 1924, already has a walking/running trail, an aquatic center, a playground, a softball field, tennis and basketball courts and a pavilion with picnic tables.
But neighbors have been talking for a while about adding a sand volleyball court.
The pandemic slowed down progress, but the friends group, which is almost 20 years old, is starting up the process again.
“It’s still getting momentum. It’s nothing concrete, but we are in play,” says Lisa Marshall, who’s been the president of Friends of Tietze Park about 10 years. “We’re getting all the information, raising funds, sponsorship, hoping to get some matching funds from the park department.”
They estimate the court will cost around $40,000-$45,000 to complete. There is fund-matching available through the 2017 bond program, and the friends group hopes to take advantage of it. They want to raise about $25,000, particularly through corporate sponsorships.
Map courtesy of Friends of Tietze Park.
The friends group is working to nail down what the sponsorships will look like and identify potential sponsors. They’re throwing around ideas such as company logos on nets or padding around the poles.
District 14 Park and Recreation board member Rudy Karimi says the friends group needs to get a lot of community support for the volleyball court, particularly from residents who live within 1,500 feet of the 9-acre park. But he’s excited about the idea and the public-private partnership.
“I believe they’re going to blaze a trail for us,” Karimi says.
Once the friends group figures out the plans and shows there’s neighborhood support for the court, the park department will review everything to make sure there’s an “appropriate” amount of sponsorships and logos to be respectful toward the park and the community, Karimi says. They will also need to identify how much funding is available through the 2017 bond program.
The court would be placed on the Clemens Street side of the park. Marshall says it wouldn’t need to be fenced, and the maintenance fees are pretty low. Every once in a while, the sand and nets will need to be replaced.
Map courtesy of Friends of Tietze Park.
Marshall says people probably wouldn’t need a reservation to use the court, but it could be used for fundraising events. There are some sand volleyball teams in the city, and she adds that the court might be used by those leagues.
“It’s a good thing,” Marshall says. “I think a lot of people will use it. A lot of people will be very interested in it.”
To support the sand volleyball court through a donation or by contacting City Hall, use this link. For questions about the court, contact Rudy Karimi (rudy.karimi@dallascityhall.com) or the Friends of Tietze Park (lhmarshall@sbcglobal.net).
