Hoover Closer to New Pickleball Complex: Hoover, Alabama, is on the brink of enhancing its sports facilities with the addition of 24 new outdoor pickleball courts at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
During the recent Hoover City Council meeting, State Rep. David Faulkner announced a significant development: for the second consecutive year, state legislators have allocated $500,000 in the state budget for upgrades at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
Faulkner highlighted that this funding is intended to support the construction of a new outdoor pickleball complex at the Met, with the aim of hosting major national tournaments. “That sport is growing all over the country,” Faulkner noted. “There’s a real opportunity here for Hoover to bring in a national pickleball tournament, and the economic impact from that would be enormous.”
With this latest allocation, the total available funding for a covered outdoor pickleball complex at the Met Complex stands at $1.3 million, as confirmed by Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato. Additionally, Hoover received $300,000 from the Jefferson County Commission for the project Mayor Brocato stated.
However, Mayor Brocato emphasized that the desired pickleball complex is still a “work in progress.” The estimated cost of the complex is $3.5 million, according to City Administrator Ken Grimes.
Mayor Brocato expressed his desire to secure more funding for the complex in the city’s fiscal 2025 budget, although specifics are pending as city officials continue developing the budget. Grimes added that the Hoover Parks and Recreation Department still has other projects that require attention as well.
Notably, Hoover recently inaugurated eight outdoor lighted pickleball courts at Veterans Park in late April, in collaboration with Shelby County. According to Grimes, these courts have already proven to be quite popular among residents.
While the 83,000-square-foot Finley Center at the Hoover Met Complex can be divided into 21 indoor pickleball courts, Hoover is keen on having dedicated outdoor courts as well.
In related news, Faulkner also revealed that the Legislature has allocated $1 million to support costs for the SEC Baseball Tournament due to its significant economic impact. Faulkner expressed enthusiasm for keeping the tournament in Hoover for years to come.
State Rep. Leigh Hulsey was also present at the Hoover City Council meeting and delivered $10,000 from her legislative discretionary fund to the Hoover Police Department and Hoover Fire Department, to be split evenly between the two.
State Rep. Mike Shaw and state Sen. April Weaver were also in attendance to discuss the Legislature’s recent passage of a law to strengthen penalties against false reporting of crimes and to provide for restitution to law enforcement agencies that expend resources on investigating false reports. The bill was filed in response to a false police report by a Hoover resident last year.
Stay Updated with the Latest Pickleball News.
