Township Administrator Matt Clark said the new pickleball courts will be constructed south of the park’s three tennis courts. He said construction is expected to begin in August and completed sometime in September.
“We received a $100,000 state grant through ODNR (Ohio Department of Natural Resources) which will subsidize 75% of the project,” Clark said. “The remainder of the project will be covered by ARPA funds.”
In the application for state funding, Clark said the township uses general fund revenue to operate its parks system that includes Patricia Allyn Park and Hoffmann Reserve. He said during the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result of the stay at home orders, the parks became very busy with people wanted to go outside.
He said, “the ability to offer pickleball courts as a recreation and exercise option would further expand what is already one of the finest parks in the region.”
Clark added that the demand for pickleball has exploded in recent years, partly due to the pandemic, according to sources. He said one source, BBC News, credits the Sport and Fitness Industry Association’s (SFIA) claim that the sport grew 21.3% in 2020 alone in the United States, and boasts nearly three million players in the country at present.
“Dedicated pickleball courts are something of a precious commodity in our area,” Clark said. “The Centerville-Washington (Township) Park District has a few pickleball courts among their park system, and the City of Middletown has some courts at Lefferson Park.”
In addition to Springboro also building pickleball courts, many area residents have to travel some distance in order to find dedicated courts, Clark said. He said the township believes these dedicated pickleball courts would make a significant impact on the quality of life for our residents; particularly older residents who are reportedly the demographic most heavily drawn to the sport.
He said the new pickleball courts will also have an economic impact on area residents so that they don’t have to pay user fees on top of their property taxes to play pickleball, unlike other parks and park districts in southwest Ohio. Any and all citizens from the township and Springboro can visit, utilize, and enjoy any city or township park without proof of residency.
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