Rochester Area Pickleball Association’s Court Upgrade: The Rochester Area Pickleball Association offered to help pay for a full rebuild of the pickleball courts at Cook Park. The plan, discussed Tuesday by the Rochester Park Board, could lead to a $300,000 project if the city agrees to join in.
The local pickleball group, represented by Mark Hickey, suggested a fifth option for court upgrades. The idea includes removing the current surface, adding drainage, and rebuilding the courts with concrete instead of asphalt. The association said it could give up to $150,000 to support the project.
Several Options Considered
The firm WHKS was hired under a $7,260 contract to study the site. It gave four main ideas for upgrades. The cheapest option costs $12,000, and the most expensive comes close to $200,000. These options focus on fixing what’s already in place.
“Those options are essentially to fix what’s out there. … It’s pretty much a Bandaid.” – (Mark Hickey)
He added that the association’s offer is “more of a long-term fix,” and noted that the total cost would be close to $300,000.
City Leaders Show Support
WHKS also submitted a new estimate just before the meeting. It put the rebuild cost at $286,400. That amount would rise to $362,300 with engineering and backup funds. Still, city leaders seemed open to the idea of working with the pickleball group. Board President Gary Neumann said,
“This is our main pickleball court presently, and it probably will be for years.” – (Gary Neumann)
Two Rochester City Council members, Shaun Palmer and Andy Friederichs, said they plan to ask the council for $75,000 from the city’s emergency fund to help cover costs. Shaun Palmer said the funds are important to keep pickleball alive in Rochester.
“They will lose their members if we don’t have courts to play on.” – (Shaun Palmer)
Next Steps and Construction Timeline
If the upgrade plan moves forward, Parks and Recreation Director Paul Widman said the agreement could also include plans to pay for long-term upkeep. More details will be needed before a deal is final. Park Board Member Mark Bilderback supported a full rebuild.
“I would think a total rebuild would make more sense to try to get it to last more than eight years,” he said, recalling that he was on the council when the courts were first built.
Mike Nigbur, head of the Parks and Forestry Division, said if funding is approved, construction will likely start next year. That’s because finding a contractor this fall could be hard.
News in Brief: Rochester Area Pickleball Association’s Court Upgrade
The Rochester Area Pickleball Association has offered $150,000 to help rebuild Cook Park’s pickleball courts. The project could total $300,000. City leaders are reviewing funding options, and construction may begin next year. The goal is to create long-lasting courts for the growing pickleball community.