Framingham Starts Construction On New Winch Park Tennis Courts

FRAMINGHAM, MA — A recent groundbreaking ceremony celebrated the beginning of a construction project that will bring new tennis courts to Framingham.

The city broke ground on six new concrete tennis courts at Winch Park, which is within walking distance to Framingham High School.

This new project will include new courts, nets, posts, court fencing and updated LED lighting, according to Parks and Recreation Deputy Director James Duane. The lights will make Winch Park the only lit tennis court in north Framingham.

The project became a priority for Mayor Charlie Sisistsky after the courts became unsafe to play on, eventually leading to the city shutting them down.

These tennis courts are owned evenly by Framingham Public Schools and the Parks and Recreation Department.

That's important because both the boys and girls tennis teams will utilize these courts, and will no longer need to travel for practice.

“The boy's tennis team is thrilled that the Parks Department, city government, and school system have come together to plan an amazing tennis facility at Framingham High School. The students deserve facilities that they can be proud of, and I know all the communities that compete at FHS will be grateful to be playing on a safe surface,” said Framingham High boys tennis head coach Christopher Strader.

“Being able to play at FHS and not have to travel will make our afternoons much less stressful and will allow more flexibility with scheduling. Having six courts will also allow more students to participate on match days, and I hope that having an excellent facility on site will help grow the program.”

Girls coach Lawrence Wilbur shared that sentiment.

“We have been looking for new courts for the past several years. We have played at Bowditch for the past two years but did not play on all of the high school courts the two years before we went to Bowditch because of the court conditions,” said Framingham High girls tennis coach Lawrence Wilbur.

"It not only will be an enormous win for the girl’s tennis team to have quality courts to play on but also for all of the avid tennis players in the city of Framingham who use the courts as well. We appreciate the city, high school and parks department efforts to get us new courts.”

The project will be completed by Classic Turf at a mark of $1.375 million after it was approved by the Framingham City Council.