Smaller communities such as Pueblo often comprise dozens of little parts that unite the town as a whole. From El Camino to the Grove, Hyde Park to Bessemer, and Aberdeen to the East Side, there are numerous neighborhoods, people and activities that complete Pueblo.
Recently, one such piece of Pueblo is getting new life through renovations after providing Pueblo youths a place to enjoy a game of basketball for decades.
Located at 2709 N. Elizabeth St. is the Elizabeth Street Parkway Outdoor Basketball Courts, known by generations of Puebloans as “The Slab.” Built in 1937 as a veteran’s memorial and place of gathering, it fell into disrepair due to a lack of a drainage system. The costs to repair the site were too great, so in the 1940s, the site was filled in with concrete and gravel. Soon after, funding came in to finish the concrete slab and it was used as a spot for various activities with one remaining the primary king of The Slab: Basketball.
Pueblo youth flocked to he Slab to play basketball along with local schools using the courts as a practice site since the early 1950s. It’s a tradition that continues today as groups of people often can be seen shooting hoops at the Slab at all times of day.
However, the court had been falling into disrepair for a number of years. But that’s ending now.
The City of Pueblo Parks and Recreation, aided by funds from the Colorado Lottery, is spending about $500,000 ito renovate the Slab.
Updated features include a redone surface, new LED lights, and new hoops to bring the location back to life so a new generation can enjoy it.
Beyond the modern improvements, the Slabs also has received a facelift in the form of murals. The entire facility consists of four courts that now sport a unique mural that shows off a connection to the community and the sport of basketball.
In the summer of 2023, a contest was held for artists to submit their mural designs for a court. In July of this year, the four winning artists were announced and their designs were revealed to the public. The artists are Jazelle Bustos, Tia Monson, Anthony Marinucci and Chloe Kelly.
The four have taken their designs from the drawing board to the courts as they’ve painted their murals side by side with the project nearing its completion.
