Located along the banks of Bennett’s Creek in the City of Suffolk, Bennett’s Creek Park is a 56.8-acre park featuring tennis courts, restrooms, covered shelters, a nature trail, open fields, three boat ramps, and a crabbing and fishing pier with handicap access. As part of their Capital Improvements Program (CIP), the City of Suffolk sought to replace the existing tennis courts and provide additional parking. Clark Nexsen collaborated with the city to foster and progress its commitment to a healthy community by delivering a flexible project that ensured the critical recreation facilities could be constructed within the CIP budget while delivering the overall vision for future development of the project.
With the initial goal to resurface the old, deteriorating tennis courts and provide a new parking lot, the city construction budget was $650,000. However, this seemingly simple project held hidden complexity. Upon inspection, it was determined that the tennis courts had exceeded their design life and required total replacement to address structural issues. To further complicate matters, a portion of the existing courts lay within the Bennett Creek Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer.
To address the city’s primary goal of having functional tennis courts available for the public to enjoy, as well as incorporate the overall vision of the project with the expanded parking lot, the project bidding and construction were phased, maximizing the city’s available options to move forward with construction within their budget. The construction bid for the first phase of the project, the tennis courts and associated bioretention facility, was awarded in July 2023 and completed in May 2024. Construction of the parking lot and walkway will be included in the future Capital Improvement Programming.
Environmental stewardship was a critical component of the project planning and design. Relocating the new tennis courts maintained the environmental integrity of the RPA buffer, protecting sensitive environmental resources. Additionally, the project landscaping consisted of native species to further enhance the environmental benefits. Water quality enhancements were provided through low impact design measures including a bioretention facility and sheet flow through conserved open space.
Since its completion, the project has earned a positive community reaction, with the construction of the courts enhancing the functionality and value of the park. The incorporation of light blue pickleball line schematics adds versatility and further encourages physical activity. Despite the small size of the project, it is clear the Bennett’s Creek Park Tennis Courts have already made a large impact on the lives of the local community.
This project is an outstanding example of balancing future growth and planning while meeting existing public needs within a limited construction budget. The City of Suffolk’s commitment to promoting a healthy community through sports and recreation opportunities was the driving force behind the project. Providing the city with maximum flexibility in their decision-making process, the phased approach permitted construction to move forward, meeting the immediate goal to renovate the tennis courts while including the design plan for the future parking lot.
Awards
ACEC Virginia Honor Award for Excellence in Engineering, 2025
