Residents say these tennis courts need more “love.”
Longtime tennis players at a public Bedford-Stuyvesant park say the facility has been unfairly shuttered by the Parks Department, and residents aren’t able to play the sport until springtime – unlike their counterparts in other parts of the borough.
The four tennis courts at Jackie Robinson Park Playground have been locked to the public since December, according to Brooklynite and tennis player Kenny Bruno – nearly a year after the community rallied for a $1 million overhaul of the “long ignored and neglected” facilities.
“There’s no reason for them to be locked,” Bruno said of the courts, which were reopened following resurfacing and storm water renovations in 2023. “All the other public courts are open … and for some reason, they’ve singled out the Jackie Robinson courts to be locked all winter long.”
A petition to reopen the courts, launched Jan. 14 by community organizer Obi Afriyie and spearheaded by the Friends of Jackie Robinson Park coalition, has amassed over 561 signatures to date.
“It is time to end this inequality and to encourage the use of the park, which enhances public safety,” the petition notes. “There should be no difference in access to recreational facilities based on one’s neighborhood.”
Organizers point to fully accessible, year-round walk-on tennis courts in Fort Greene, Lincoln Terrace, Bay Ridge and more.
The public is required to be able to access parks, and “outdoor tennis courts are open daily, weather permitting, except when under construction or repair or when reserved for tournaments or special events,” according to NYC Parks rules.
A Parks spokesperson told The Post the agency closed the courts during the winter months “due to repeated vandalism and misuse during the prior season. We look forward to reopening the courts at the beginning of the season in April.”
Bruno, who said he was informed by multiple parks representatives that the “vandalism” was in reference to broken locks at the court and the “misuse” referred to unlicensed tennis lessons, told The Post Parks’ reasoning “doesn’t hold water.”
“If [the park] weren’t locked, it wouldn’t be broken. That’s a pretty easy solution,” Bruno said. “And [for the second reason], they shouldn’t punish all of us because someone did something unauthorized. That does not hold up at all.”
The Big Apple native added that the winter closure of the tennis courts puts a strain on already-busy courts in Brooklyn, which you either have to pay for or be in line “by 7 a.m.”
“Every other tennis court in Brooklyn is open and available to play on … yet they’ve come up with these bogus excuses [for these courts],” added longtime Bed-Stuy tennis coach Frances Ferdinand.
As players must have a valid tennis permit issued by NYC Parks from April to November, Ferdinand contends the winter months are the most equitable for players.
Ferdinand contends the lockout is a targeted attack over a high-profile battle for the space after she was outbid for the exclusive rights to teach at the court earlier this year (the new concession holder spent $40,000 to Ferdinand’s $9,000, Curbed reports).
“I honestly feel like they wanted to make an example of me,” said Ferdinand, 36, who has taught free and low-cost tennis classes to residents for the last five years.
The Brooklyn native reports she’s been banned from the premises since November – when she was informed of the ban while hosting an annual community event – and has been told she would be charged with trespassing if she were to return.
“The fundamental issue that needs to be changed is that they’re putting in a [request for proposals] to consider community [building], and then to turn around and have it based on how much money you have … is unclear, it is convoluted, and we think there should be more consideration for community input,” she told The Post.
Ferdinand said organizers have called on the offices of New York City council member Chi Osse, City Parks Commissioner Sue Donogue, Sen. Jabari Brisport and even the New York City Public Advocate to help their quest — and she hopes at least one elected will heed their call.
“We have this beautiful resource right in the middle of the neighborhood – and the next Serena Williams could come from Bed-Stuy, but she can’t get court time,” Bruno said.
“It’s sitting there unused, and there’s no good explanation.”
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