Elmhurst Tennis Courts May Reopen Soon

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst Park District expects to open its tennis courts at the end of May, as the state's northeast region moves to the next phase in opening up the economy, according to a district news release Wednesday.

The district has more than 25 outdoor tennis courts, and the district's Courts Plus has earned the United States Tennis Association’s outstanding facility award, the release said.

In late March, many residents asked the Elmhurst Park District to take action to protect against people defying the governor's stay-at-home order and congregating in parks. As a result, and with the health and safety of residents in mind, the tennis courts, along with other park amenities, were locked, the district said.

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Over the last few weeks, the district has received a handful of requests to reopen the tennis courts, the news release said. While taking those requests into consideration, guidance was sought from both the district’s legal counsel and the Park District Risk Management Agency, an intergovernmental risk pool that provides insurance coverage to the district, the release said.

“Ultimately we were advised that, unlike golf, the stay-at-home order doesn’t specifically call for tennis courts to be open,” Executive Director Jim Rogers said in a statement. “We’re excited to reopen the courts and understand the desire to get back out there and play, but we plan to operate in accordance with the recommendations of state officials and the CDC and wait until the stay-at-home order is lifted. We take our responsibility to prevent the spread of COVID-19 seriously. The safety and well-being of our residents remains our highest priority as we to seek a return to normalcy in the future.”

The district anticipates reopening the courts when the northeast region, which includes Elmhurst, enters the third phase of the governor's Restore Illinois plan — projected for the end of May. At that time, outdoor recreation, including activities in groups of 10 or fewer with social distancing will be permitted, according to the news release. However, the public will be required to abide by social distancing and sanitation guidelines and take all necessary precautions, the district said.