Cleveland Reopens Tinsley Park After $4 Million Makeover

The 30-acre park gained new softball fields and a 20-court pickleball complex after city employees handled the design and construction in-house.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Softball

Cleveland Reopens Tinsley Park After $4 Million Makeover

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Cleveland held a grand reopening ceremony Saturday for Kenneth Tinsley Park following a $4 million makeover. The upgrades added revamped softball fields, a dog park, restrooms, a concession area, a sand volleyball complex, and a 20-court pickleball complex with eight covered courts.

Why it matters

The city hopes the new softball fields will lure tournaments and fans back to Cleveland, after revenue from softball tournaments declined as surrounding communities competed for events. City officials also expect the facility to become a pickleball tournament hotspot.

The $4 million makeover was completed in-house by city employees, against an estimated $15 million outside contractor bid. The park's total courts rise from six to 24, including the 20-court pickleball complex.

The players

Kenneth Tinsley Park

A 30-acre Cleveland park opened in 1981 and named for longtime city commissioner David Kenneth Tinsley.

Jonathan Jobe

The city project manager who oversaw the in-house design and construction of the park improvements.

The details

The makeover, managed by project manager Jonathan Jobe, repaved the park's roads and parking lot and added new softball fields and the pickleball complex. The 30-acre park, which opened in 1981, is named for David Kenneth Tinsley, who served on the Cleveland City Commission from 1964 until his retirement in 1991.

1981: Kenneth Tinsley Park opened.
1964: David Kenneth Tinsley was elected to the Cleveland City Commission.
1991: David Kenneth Tinsley retired from the Cleveland City Commission.
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Grand reopening ceremony held.

Season Trajectory

The Tinsley makeover is a city-run project that competes with surrounding communities for softball tournament revenue. Its success will depend on whether the new fields and pickleball courts can recover tournament business lost to those nearby competitors.

Softball players and teams in Cleveland gain access to newly revamped fields for league and tournament play. Pickleball players gain access to a 20-court complex, including eight covered courts.

The takeaway

Cleveland's in-house approach cut the cost of a major park project to roughly a quarter of an outside bid, a model that other cities weighing similar upgrades may compare against their own estimates.