Cape Coral’s Pickleball Paradise: The Courts, Cape Coral, officially rebranded with a grand reopening ceremony last Saturday, showcasing the facility’s transformation and improvements. The community, city officials, and pickleball enthusiasts gathered to celebrate what is now a premier venue for sports lovers.
New Features and Expanded Facilities
The city-owned, privately operated facility boasts 32 pickleball courts and 12 tennis courts. It also features a pro shop offering paddles, racquets, and sports apparel. The rebranding of what was previously Lake Kennedy began with a project designed by the nationwide consulting firm, Kimberly Horn.
James Bankonin from Kimberly Horn, which has built over 150-200 pickleball courts across Southwest Florida, noted the unique scale and complexity of this project.
“We’ve built probably 150-200 pickleball courts across Southwest Florida the past two or three years, but none to the scale or complexity as this project.” – (James Bankonin)
City Leaders Show Support
Cape Coral City Councilmember Joe Kilraine and Parks and Recreation Director Joe Petrella attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, praising the benefits of the expanded facility for the individual and the community.
Kilraine undertook the ribbon-cutting duties, with both officials emphasizing the positive impact of pickleball on the community.
The expansion was funded as part of a $60 million voter-approved GO bond allocated for park improvements across the city.
Membership Model and Financial Sustainability
The Courts operates on a membership-based business model, offering annual, semi-annual, and monthly memberships for singles, couples, and families. There are also single-day passes available, with non-residents paying an additional fee.
Adrian Moses, regional general manager of the Sports Facilities Company, emphasized that the goal was for the facility to fund itself through membership fees, onsite purchases, and large tournaments. This funding model ensures the facility doesn’t rely on taxpayer subsidies for continued operation.
“With the funding for this facility, the goal is for it to fund itself so it didn’t become something that required taxpayer subsidy to continue running.” – (Adrian Moses)
“That means that the facility uses through fees, membership fees, and the purchases that they make on site from this facility for itself, that’s also supplemented by the large tournaments that we will bring in as well as two major tournaments that we’ve already brought to this facility, which is going to help fund the facility. In addition, we can’t forget our valued sponsors who allow us to operate the facility in a way that is of great value to local residents.” – (Adrian Moses)
Since opening in November, The Courts has already raised over $238,000 in membership fees, surpassing expectations.
Paddle Ambassadors Ensure Smooth Operations
To help manage the high volume of players, The Courts has employed paddle ambassadors. These ambassadors help ensure efficient court turnovers, making the experience smooth for players. Ken Jefferson, one of the ambassadors, described the social nature of the facility, saying,
“I meet a lot of people, it’s very social and everyone is very nice.” – (Ken Jefferson)
News in Brief: Cape Coral’s Pickleball Paradise
The Courts, Cape Coral, celebrated its grand reopening on Saturday, featuring 32 pickleball courts and 12 tennis courts. The membership-based facility raised over $238,000 in membership fees since November.
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