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Creation of Dedicated Pickleball Courts in District 3

katherine hedden

19/01/2022 16:07

Targeted Agency:

DEPT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

Project Name:

CREATION OF DEDICATED PICKLEBALL COURTS IN DISTRICT 3

Description:

Creation of dedicated pickleball courts either at Corporal Seravalli Playground or another location in District 3. Pickleball is a fast growing sport, with multitudes of new courts being constructed throughout the country. NYC has more than 500 tennis and 2,000 handball courts but not one dedicated Pickleball court. Pickleball is enjoyed by a multi-generational, diverse community. It attracts young and old, seasoned racquet enthusiasts and newcomers, and crosses all lines of gender, race, and class. It builds friendship and civic engagement.

An informal community of over 700 members play pickleball at William Passannante Ballfield, Clinton DeWitt area, and Corporal Seravalli. With the support of the handball and paddleball communities, the pickleball group sets up privately-purchased, net systems, and plays on taped areas. Unfortunately, the courts are makeshift and with the crowds we have, we had to get permits to assure play.

There are underused sections of Corporal Seravalli and Clinton DeWitt that we believe could readily be repurposed and converted at a minimal construction cost for pickleball courts with permanent nets. (Each court should be 20 x 44 ft. with extra space for safety, ideally totaling 30 x 60 ft.) We understand that other groups play in those locations. but it is possible to fit perhaps a minimum of 4 to 6 courts that would be beneficial to the community.

We believe that these two sites could be converted to pickleball courts with tennis-like resurfacing and the installation of permanent nets. It would be a very simple design and construction process that could commence extremely quickly.

New York, known to be a leader in the Finance, Technology, Fashion, and Sport industries across the globe, should be able to support the fastest growing sport in America today. This is what New York represents.

Need:

The Pickleball Community plays throughout the year in all temperatures. Their is no question that the demand for dedicated Pickleball Courts far surpasses the supply.