Belleville’s park plans call for new pickleball courts and splash pad improvements
Belleville’s splash pad is set to get a decorative fence, a shade structure and more parking while the city also intends to open more pickleball courts.
These are some of the highlights of the Parks and Recreation Department’s plans to improve the city’s parks in coming months. The work authorized so far by city leaders costs just over $1 million.
Here’s a roundup of the action:
Splash pad
The city’s splash pad opened in 2023 at Bicentennial Park. The park is located at 4811 Belleville Crossing with the closest entrance to the splash pad off South 21st Street.
Jason Poole, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department as well as the Public Works Department, said he hopes the new fence, shade structure and expanded parking lot work will be completed by Memorial Day weekend when the splash reopens for the season.
The parking lot off South 21st Street will be expanded with about 20 more spaces.
Poole said the city had “quite a few” complaints about the lack of a fence at the splash pad while noting that this type of splash pad isn’t required to have one.
Hemmer Construction LLC of Fairview Heights has the contract to do this splash pad work for $217,903.
Gonzales Companies LLC, which has an office in Belleville, was awarded the construction management services contract of $21,000 to oversee the splash pad improvements.
The city recently completed dredging two ponds at the park.
New pickleball courts
Belleville recently converted the Bellevue Park tennis courts into four pickleball courts and now the city plans to make a similar conversion at Pleasant Hill Park at 601 N. Sixth St.
The pickleball courts at Bellevue Park have been popular and players have had to wait in line to get a court, Poole said.
“Oh man, pickleball is crazy,” Poole said of the popularity of the sport. “We’ve got people interested in pickleball so we thought we’ll expand the offering.”
Along with converting the Pleasant Hill tennis courts into four pickleball courts, the city will improve the park’s parking lot and walking trail.
In the first step for the Pleasant Hill work, the city has awarded a design contract of $15,600 to Gonzales, Poole said.
Citizens Park
Visitors to Citizens Park at 341 Citizens Park Drive can expect to see new bleachers and picnic tables.
The city also will upgrade the restrooms, concession stand and playground at the park.
A construction contract for $588,415 has been signed with Hank’s Construction of Belleville to make improvements at Citizens Park.
Also, the city has agreed to buy new playground equipment from GameTime Recreation for $124,420.
Poole said he hopes the Citizens Park work is completed next summer.
Laderman Park
Belleville wants to replace the Laderman Park playground equipment along with improving drainage and the roadway at the park, Poole said.
Gonzales has been awarded a $22,700 contract to do the design work for this project.
Laderman Park is at 1105 Mascoutah Ave.
Tribute to Belleville history
The city has awarded a design contract regarding a proposal to erect limestone columns from the former St. Clair County Courthouse on vacant land near the intersection of South Sixth and West Main streets.
Oates Associates, which has an office in Belleville, received a $19,700 contract to design a plan.
This site is where Ameren recently cleaned up the soil that was contaminated by the former Belleville Gas Light & Coke Co. over a century ago.
