The city of Pueblo is one step closer in its pursuit to revitalize and preserve the legacy of the “Slab” — a collection of basketball courts along Elizabeth Street Parkway — with murals and other timely upgrades.
The city selected four submissions from artists to design and create murals on the surfaces of those courts. It received nearly 50 entries after announcing last year that it planned to integrate artwork into its effort to update the courts, which haven’t been resurfaced in several years.
City staff are in the process of finalizing agreements with all four artists, but each of them is tentatively scheduled to paint the murals on the courts in early September, said Michael Sexton, assistant director of Pueblo Parks and Recreation.
Other improvements such as a new post-tension concrete slab, court surfacing, new basketball hoops and LED lights, striping and other additions are expected to take place in early July. A firmer timeline on when work will start and end is likely to be finalized next month once city staff meets with Renner Sports Surfaces, the contractor for the project, Sexton said.
“I can hardly wait to do a ribbon-cutting,” he said.
The courts are known by locals as the “Slab” because of their concrete surface and popularity as a place to play summer pickup games or host youth basketball leagues and tournaments.
In the 1950s and ’60s, basketball became “king” at the Slab, according to Chieftain articles during that time. Young Puebloans in that era visited the Slab frequently and played basketball there before and after school. That tradition has continued in the decades since.
“They’re excited,” Sexton said of the artists. “It’s a long time coming.”
“We’re not just putting down a regular surface on there to play basketball. We’re doing some art with the pride of Pueblo. It’s going to be cool,” he said.
In soliciting submissions for the murals, the city sought designs with depictions “related to Pueblo and hopefully the energy of the sport of basketball,” Sexton said shortly after the project was announced. He has reviewed each of the four murals that were selected and is confident they are “going to give a good representation of the community, history of the Slab and Pueblo.”
Cynthia Ramu, coordinator of the Pueblo Levee Mural Project, helped evaluate some of the designs, according to Sexton.
Each of the artists is expected to receive a $2,500 stipend for their work. City council will decide whether to accept funds from the Colorado Lottery that will allow the city to pay that out in the coming weeks.
The total project cost is estimated at $500,000, all of which will be paid for using Colorado Lottery funds. The city receives about $1 million each year from the Colorado Lottery, which distributes some of the money it collects to cities and towns across the state to invest in trails, parks, pools, or other recreational amenities.
“We only have a certain amount of lottery funds per year, so we have to prioritize (certain projects),” Sexton said. “Over the past few years, we were able to nickel and dime some funds to build up over half a million dollars for this project.”
Basketball court murals have been created in other U.S. cities in recent years. Several more have popped up in other countries amid an ongoing trend by artists to combine art and basketball, which began decades ago when the sport grew in popularity.
Now it’s Pueblo’s turn to join that growing list.
Sexton is particularly excited about the project, having grown up playing basketball at the Slab.
He also has seen it receive upgrades over the years. When the city last resurfaced it and installed new baskets, Sexton said Slab visitors felt like “we’re in heaven.”
The upcoming improvements are expected to improve the durability and lifespan of the courts as a new generation of players gets to know and enjoy one of Pueblo’s most popular and historic outdoor amenities.
“I can’t play anymore,” Sexton said, “but I’ll probably take my granddaughter out there and tell her, ‘This is yours, now.’”
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Chieftain reporter Josué Perez can be reached at JHPerez@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @josuepwrites. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.
