A new full-court basketball court is on the way this summer for users of Stevens Park, 6th and Tilghman streets, thanks to funding from The Allentown Parknership. The court is the organization’s first park improvement project in the city.
Construction of the basketball court is expected to start by June and be completed this summer. The $75,000 project will include high-quality glass backboards, breakaway rims and a durable acrylic-coated playing surface – many of the same features as the recently updated courts at Cedar Beach.
The Parknership is fully funding the project, with a significant portion coming from the Parknership’s Dorothy Rider Pool Endowment for Culture, Arts and Education, which is dedicated to supporting and developing parks in distressed neighborhoods to better address the health and well-being needs of city residents and to increase access to safe and welcoming parks and green space. The endowment was formed with a landmark gift of $500,000 from the Rider-Pool Foundation in 2024.
Early findings from the ongoing City of Allentown’s comprehensive parks plan indicated the need for the full basketball court in the north-central part of the city. In their research, planning consultant Simone Collins Landscape Architecture found that Allentown has fewer full-court basketball courts per capita compared to other similar cities, a number below recreation industry standards. That data echoed community voices that have been suggesting a full court for many years.
“We’re expecting this project to be a real slam-dunk for the neighborhood,” said Simon Moore, chair of The Allentown Parknership’s board. “Between the community demand, data from city’s comprehensive plan and the alignment with our endowment’s focus, the full court in Stevens Park is an ideal first project to make a huge difference quickly for the city’s residents.”
“As our city has grown, the residents around Stevens Park have often been overlooked — or given changes that didn’t match what they actually wanted,” said Mayor Matt Tuerk. “This new full court is a chance to do better. By working with neighbors, we can build a space that works for them and start rebuilding trust. I’m glad the Parknership is starting here.”
Allentown Parknership Executive Director Ruffian Tittmann, who in April completed her first month leading the organization, said the project illustrates the Parknership’s unique ability to use private funding for public good. “We are excited to work with individuals, foundations, corporations and other funders to find the intersection between their organizational priorities and the community’s needs – just like this court in Stevens Park,” she said. “We are committed to collaborating with the city to make improvements that in many cases will last generations.”
