Pueblo to temporarily close 'Slab' basketball courts for mural renovation project
The city of Pueblo will temporarily close the "Slab" basketball courts along Elizabeth Street starting next week to complete a planned renovation project in the area.
The closure begins June 24 and is expected to last until at least late September, which is around the time when the project is tentatively scheduled to be completed, the city announced Tuesday.
“We appreciate the community's understanding and patience during this renovation period,” Mike Sexton, the city’s assistant director of parks and recreation, said in a news release. “We look forward to unveiling the revitalized Elizabeth Street ‘Slab’ basketball courts for all to enjoy upon project completion.”
Other basketball courts around Pueblo that people can use during the closure are located at Lake Minnequa Veterans Memorial Park, Stauter Field, J.J. Raigoza Park and El Centro Del Quinto Sol, among a few others.
Last year, the city announced it was looking for artists to paint murals at the “Slab,” a popular set of historic basketball courts located along Elizabeth Street at Dundee Park.
The city earlier this year picked four artists to design and create murals on the surface of those courts. Other improvements such as a new post-tension concrete slab, new basketball hoops and LED lights, striping and other additions are also part of the project.
Renner Sports Surfaces is the project contractor.
The artists are expected to paint the four murals on the courts in early September, according to Sexton. Once they’re complete, the city will join several other municipalities in the U.S. and other countries that have basketball court murals, which have grown in popularity.
The total project cost is an estimated $500,000, all of which will be paid for using Colorado Lottery funds that were distributed to the city.
The courts are known by locals as the "Slab" because of their concrete surface and popularity as a place to play summer pickup games or host youth basketball leagues and tournaments.
In the 1950s and '60s, basketball became “king” at the Slab, according to Chieftain articles from that time. Young Puebloans in that era visited the Slab frequently and played basketball there before and after school. That tradition has continued in the decades since.
After the project is finished, the city plans to host a ribbon cutting to unveil the upgrades.
More: Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority announces new public art installation at Walk of Legends Park
Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: The 'Slab' basketball courts are temporarily closing. Here's what to know
