Central Falls Finishes Tennis Courts 2.5 Years Late - Mayor Blames Shooting and Supply Chain

Central Falls Finishes Tennis Courts 2.5 Years Late - Mayor Blames Shooting and Supply Chain

In August of 2021, Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera announced that her town was building its first tennis courts.

 

Rivera included in the announcement Todd Martin, a former 4th-ranked pro player in the world and CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, who led the festivities.

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The new tennis courts were to be funded by the U.S. Tennis Association – New England and the RI Department of Environmental Management. Construction was anticipated to be completed on the new courts in fall 2021.

 

But the courts were not completed until this month, nearly three full years later after the announcement and two and half years after the court were promised.

 

When asked about the multi-year delay, Rivera’s spokesperson, Sarah Dell, said that murder and supply-chain issues delayed the project.

 

“The project faced initial delays due to the tragic shooting death that occurred on the site, then the project experienced supply chain issues and cost increases, much like projects everywhere have seen due to the pandemic,” said Dell.

 

In a three-year period, Martin left the Hall of Fame, and Roger Federer and Serena Williams retired from tennis.

 

And Central Falls 1st graders are now headed for the 4th grade.

 

When asked for details on how the supply chain impacted the construction of tennis courts, Dell cited chain link fencing.

 

She also cited that the cost of the project increased but would not answer what the initial project was and what it increased to. 

 

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: GoLocal will update this story when Mayor Rivera's office provides budget information.

This story was first published 6/26/24 7:50 PM