3 minute read
Santaquin Builds New Basketball Courts
Santaquin builds new outdoor basketball courts
Through grant money, donations and RAP tax funds, Santaquin is now home to one of the largest and highest-quality outdoor basketball courts in Utah County.
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Its construction quality, however, is not the only thing that sets it apart. The first thing one notices about the facility is the huge Utah Jazz logo painted on its playing surface.
The Utah Jazz awarded SantaquinDONE City a $10,000 grant for the facility as part of a Jazz program that funds the creation or refurbishment of basketball courts in Utah. Along with the grant came permission to feature the Utah Jazz logo.
The new basketball facility is located at Centennial Park, 300 W. 100 South, Santaquin. It features six basketball hoops arranged to provide half-court or full-court play. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for the facility on Aug. 5, 2021, which was followed by a basketball tournament held as part of Orchard Days.
The story of the new basketball facility began before the Jazz grant. A few years ago, Shawn Bradley, a former Brigham Young University basketball player who went on to a career in the NBA, visited Santaquin for a car show at Centennial Park and was surprised to find no basketball court there.
He helped raise several thousand dollars in one day at the show to help fund a court, and that became the seed money for the project.
Santaquin Community Services Director John Bradley said he learned of the money when he came to work for the city, and he decided to apply for the Utah Jazz grant to try to get the project underway.
Some money from Santaquin City RAP (Recreation, Arts and Parks) Tax funding was also used for the basketball court project.
With the money from the Jazz grant, the city was able to construct courts of a much higher quality, John Bradley said. The courts are made of “post-tensioned concrete,” a method that will help the courts last much longer than those made with regular concrete. The city was also able to create more courts at the Centennial Park facility.
The hoops even have an adjustment mechanism allowing residents to raise and lower the baskets.
Basketballs can be checked out for free from the Santaquin Recreation Office located across the street from Centennial Park.
The Jazz Bear attended the ribbon-cutting event for the facility and gave out Jazz items, and a lot of local children attended wearing their Junior Jazz Basketball jerseys. Santaquin City’s recreation department offers a Junior Jazz Basketball program each year.
John Bradley said the city plans to use the new courts for a big basketball tournament during Orchard Days each year. About 120 people participated in the Orchard Days tournament in 2021.
Of course, the courts are also open for public play. “I think one of the reasons why it’s such a great facility is it’s free. People can go and enjoy it as long as the weather is good,” John Bradley said.
Harvest View Sports Park: Phase 2 under construction
In addition to its new basketball courts in Centennial Park, Santaquin City is creating recreational opportunities for residents in its Harvest View Sports Park. Located at 592 W. Summit Ridge Parkway, this 35-acre park is being built in multiple phases and will eventually be home to a variety of sports fields and courts.
“It’s just a massive regional sports park,” said John Bradley, Santaquin City’s community services director.
Phase 1 was completed in the fall of 2019; the park currently has 8 acres of grass as well as lighting for evening play and a small restroom. Currently, the park is used for soccer games as well as sports such as T-ball, flag football and spikeball.
Phase 2 construction is now underway. This phase includes creating a paved parking area with 400 parking stalls, a restroom/concessions building, a playground and eight lighted pickleball courts.
Future phases will include building softball and other recreational fields. The park is being funded through impact fees and RAP tax funds, and future phases will be completed as funding becomes available.
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