New Pickleball Courts in Independence Park: Pickleball enthusiasts in Johnson County can look forward to new courts at Independence Park by 2025. The Johnson County Board of Commissioners has approved a $304,880 bid for the installation of these courts at 2100 S. Morgantown Road, Greenwood. The project, awarded to All Star Paving, is scheduled to start in March and be completed by May.
Funding and Budget
The installation of the pickleball courts will be financed through a portion of the county’s $31 million allocation from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This funding will also support a bridge project to connect parking lots between the new county community corrections building and the sheriff’s training center at 1081 Hospital Road, Franklin, with a budget not to exceed $350,000.
Adam Gadberry, the county attorney, has indicated that All Star Paving’s bid is under the project’s budget of $500,000. The complete construction contract is still being negotiated and has not yet been made available for review. ARPA, enacted under President Joe Biden in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been used for various county projects, including a new health department/coroner’s office and a behavioral health facility at Johnson Memorial Health.
Project Background and Approval
The initial proposal for the pickleball courts in 2023 requested $150,000 to cover half of the cost for eight courts. This request was dependent on additional funding from the Johnson County Convention, Visitor, and Tourism Board, which did not materialize. The county is still evaluating the purchase of additional equipment, such as a canopy for shade.
With approximately $1.4 million of its ARPA funds remaining, Johnson County will continue to assess further allocations. County commissioner and committee president Ron West highlighted the increasing demand for pickleball, pointing to a national growth rate of 30 to 40 percent annually.
“There is a lot of demand. We don’t have any pickleball courts at any of our county facilities, and White River Township has a tremendous amount of players. Every year, pickleball is growing leaps and bounds and the sport has been experiencing a 30 to 40% growth nationally every year.” – (West)
Kevin Leonard, superintendent of Johnson County Parks and Recreation, noted that the new courts would be a welcome addition to Independence Park, which is already a popular destination.
“Pickleball continues to be very popular and continues to grow. Independence Park is already a very popular park and being able to offer that new amenity in our parks is exciting for us.” – (Leonard)
Expanding Pickleball Facilities
The new pickleball courts at Independence Park will contribute to a growing network of facilities in the region. Nearby locations include Greenwood’s Craig Park and Freedom Park, Franklin’s Youngs Creek Park and Community Park, and Bargersville’s Kephart Park. Additionally, Franklin features an indoor pickleball complex known as Drop Shot.
Ron West emphasized the sport’s broad appeal, stating,
“The thing with pickleball is that it is fun and accommodating for most everybody — the young, the old, men, women. It is mild exercise. I’ve been playing for 6 or 7 years and I’d hate to think of what shape I’d be in if pickleball didn’t come into my life.” – (Ron West)
News in Brief: New Pickleball Courts in Independence Park
Johnson County has approved a $304,880 bid for installing pickleball courts at Independence Park, with construction set to begin in March 2025 and finish by May. Funded by ARPA, the project is budgeted at $500,000. The county will retain approximately $1.4 million of its ARPA funds post-project. The new courts will add to the region’s growing network of pickleball facilities, reflecting the sport’s increasing popularity.
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