Tuscaloosa PAL Aims To Promote 'Streetball' With New Court Surface

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Demolition work began Tuesday on a historic, yet dilapidated basketball court in Tuscaloosa's West End that will eventually be used to promote "streetball" to kids in the area thanks to the Tuscaloosa Police Department and the Police Athletic League.

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TPD explained that the court had fallen into disrepair, with demolition work representing Phase 1 of the initiative. This will see the city lease the property that is adjacent to Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School from the Tuscaloosa Board of Education.

Renovations to the court are part of the City of Tuscaloosa's Project Unity.

Conveniently located across from the Tuscaloosa Police Athletic League gymnasium, the new court will be one of the only outdoor courts for the area. While the PAL gymnasium serves approximately 200 K-12 students, the city estimates that roughly 1,300 K-12 students live in the area — underscoring the need for update public amenities to promote healthy activities like basketball.

TPD said the new playing surface will be red and blue to honor the team colors of the former Druid City High Dragons.

Prior to Druid High and Tuscaloosa High School being forced to merge in the age of integration, the Dragons have a rich history thanks to names such as Mason Bonner, Jerome Elliot, Wylie Tucker, Lewis Simon, Reginald Beal, Joe Dawson, Robert Melton, Larry Frazier, Will Parr, Lester Shambley and many, many others.

The new surface will be a vast improvement from the concrete and asphalt those legends of old played on it their heydays, with the new court made of granules of EPDM rubber bonded together with polyurethane. This will provide a soft impact surface that will allow for great bouncing with respect to dribbling a basketball.

TPD expects the project to be completed by 2026.

Ryan Phillips is an award-winning journalist, editor and opinion columnist, in addition to being the founder and field editor of Tuscaloosa Patch. The views expressed in this opinion column are his and not necessarily reflective of those held by our parent company or sponsors.