Basketball enthusiasts across campus will have more bounce in their step after the campus’s outdoor court is repaired and extended this fall.

Park Student Government Association recently announced it has been working with a local contractor to begin work on the basketball court, which is located just down the hill from Chesnut Hall.

PSGA received a grant from The Sunderland Foundation in the amount of $44,000 to help go towards improvements for the basketball court.

According to PSGA President Jeremy Barnes, this new project would give Park University students a new recreation area on campus.

“It is always exciting to raise funds for a project that so directly impacts the quality of student life,” said Laurie McCormack, vice president for university advancement.

“I believe The Sunderland Foundation board members were very impressed with the commitment of our student government to secure $25,000 towards the new basketball court.”

McCormack also said The Foundation has supported Park with previous projects, including the Norrington window project for $40,000 and the Corbett stairs for around $50,000.

The current basketball court is only half-court size, with one basketball goal on one end.

With the renovations to the court, it would be turned around and made into a full-size court, with two basketball goals on both ends and line markers.

The six-foot fence that is currently around the court would also be changed into a twelve-foot fence. A retaining wall will also be put in around the court along with a seating area.

Barnes said the project would take close to around five weeks to complete.

“We hope to start work on the new court within the next two to three weeks because we want to get it all completed before winter before the ground freezes,” he said.

In regards to how much the project will cost, Barnes said the contracting bid came out to around $63,025. PSGA, Residence Hall Council and Pirate Fitness will cover the remaining $25,000 which exceeds the grant.

While there are currently no lights – and no immediate plan for lights – around the court for students to play basketball at night, Barnes said adding lighting fixtures has been brought up and could possibly be a future ordeal.

“We want this to be for the students to use so adding lights is a possibility for the future,” he said.

“We have even talked about adding gazebos to give students more places to sit and relax.”