An opportunity for more state grant money could allow city officials to add two tennis courts at Halls Ferry Park.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday approved a resolution authorizing grants coordinator Marcia Weaver to apply for an additional $60,000 in Mississippi Wildlife and Fisheries Land and Water Conservation grant funds for the expansion project.

The board in December approved a $200,000 tennis court expansion project, which is funded in part by a $100,000 WLF Land and Water Conservation grant. The city is paying the other half.

Weaver said the $60,000 grant requires a 50 percent match from the city, adding, “this (resolution) authorizes us to ask for the funds. It is not a guarantee that we will get the funds. It says we are asking for the funds and we will put up the match if we get them.”

South Ward Alderman Willis Thompson said the two extra courts could put the city in the position to attract more tennis tournaments “even SWAC (Southwest Athletic Conference) tournaments. We’ve been told the reason we hadn’t been able to do it in the past is because we didn’t have an adequate number of courts.”

He called the grant match a good investment.

“I see it as an economic investment if we can host a few more tournaments and get more people in the city, and if we can get it done now, versus later, we’ll be saving money,” he said.

The tennis court expansion project involves building more tennis courts northeast of the park’s 10 existing courts and developing a handicap accessible walkway from the parking lot to the courts.

At the time the project was approved, city landscape director Jeff Richardson told the board the project biggest challenge would be finding the shortest route from the parking area to the new courts. He said most of the grant wound be used to meet the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements.