The Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department has made some changes at the racket center, improvements in the parks and is working on upgrading the pool’s filtration system.
Last year, the municipality took over the management of indoor tennis from Indoor Tennis for Mt. Lebanon. Racket Center Manager Darin Rauso said the first indoor season under new management went smoothly.
“There’s always a learning curve, but overall, maintenance, staffing and operations, there were no major issues,” he said.
“We have also welcomed our new head racket professional, Megan Foster,” Rauso said. “Megan is a staple in the Pittsburgh tennis community; she brings a winning combination of experience, enthusiasm and leadership. Her arrival marks a new chapter for tennis programming at the Racket Center. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have her vision and expertise guiding the revitalization of what we offer to the community.”
Court time will cost the same as last year, but the center is doing away with season passes.
“It’s all pay as you play,” said Rauso. “We’re encouraging people to reserve space and pay online, so you just check in and go right to your court.”
In the works for this year is the reconstruction of two courts and updated lighting for courts 1 through 8. Once the bubbles go back up in September, two of the tennis courts will be reconfigured into pickleball courts. By 2026, the racket center is expected to have six pickleball courts and 13 tennis courts.
“We’re going to be busy this summer,” Rauso said.
The public works department continues to improve accessibility and safety in Mt. Lebanon’s parks, following recommendations from the 2022 Parks Master Plan. Following are recently completed and upcoming projects.
Williamsburg Park Renovations at Williamsburg Park were completed in March, with new synthetic ForeverLawn surfaces and foam safety padding replacing wood chips. Log steps and hopscotch are available for play. The final cost was $69,406.
Highland Terrace Park The Highland Terrace Park renovation finished in April. Wood chips were replaced with the same foam padding and ForeverLawn installed at Williamsburg. Additionally, crews installed new sidewalks leading up to the play area and replaced damaged fencing. The final cost was $16,986.50.
North Meadowcroft Park Phase 3 of North Meadowcroft Park’s renovation will begin the week of June 10, expected to be complete before school resumes in August. This phase focuses on several key upgrades, including new fencing, basketball court resurfacing, replacement of basketball court poles, backboards and hoops, and new LED lighting to enhance visibility and safety. The project will also feature improvements to the park’s overall aesthetics.
Bottle fillers Crews continue to replace brick fountains with water bottle filler and fountain combination units. Installations at Williamsburg Park, Main Park, the ball fields and Bird Park are in the works.
Park signage Several parks and fields received updated signage, including Country Club Park, Rockwood Park, Bird Park, Sunset Hills Park, Brafferton Field, John Doctor Field, Dixon Field, Middle Field and Clint Seymour Field. Signs in Church Place Park, Iroquois Park, Mt. Lebanon Park, Highland Terrace Park, Williamsburg Park and North Meadowcroft Park will be installed soon.
Pool filtration system The municipality put the pool filtration contract up for bids a second time after bids from the first round came in too high. This project involves demolition and replacement of the pool filtration system. In April, the Commission voted to award a $1.32 million contract to Shiloh Industrial Contractors for replacement of the filtration system. The cost of the project will be included in a municipal bond issue this year. Work will start after this swim season.