Refurbished Basketball Courts Open At Buttonwood Park

If you play basketball, you probably have played a game or two at the courts at Buttonwood Park.

The three courts have been around for decades, and now have been refurbished, thanks to a fund-raising effort by The Friends of Buttonwood Park, expertise provided by the City of New Bedford, and several local companies who donated materials and labor.

Mayor Jon Mitchell says he played on the Buttonwood courts as a youngster, and so did his dad....

Mayor Mitchell described New Bedford as a "basketball town", and predicted the courts would be constantly used. Also attending the ceremony were members of the New Bedford High School basketball team.

The improvements include new lighting and benches, asphalt playing surfaces, new hoops and backboards and landscaping.

The Friends of Buttonwood Park raised $97.000 for the project, while the City of New Bedford provided about $100,000 in materials and in-kind services. Two paving contractors, P.A. Landers and P.J. Keating contributed around $11,000 in materials and labor.