A municipal order was approved at a City commission meeting on Tuesday to establish pickleball courts at York Park. A partnership between the City and River City Pickleball, Inc. was also authorized, and costs for the new courts will be split between the two entities.
Located at 2201 York Drive, York Park is owned and operated by the City of Owensboro. The two-acre park currently has a tennis court that will be remodeled to create four pickleball courts. The idea was discussed and negotiated by both parties, who came together in planning Owensboro’s first ever permanent space for the fast-growing sport.
Manager of the River City Pickleball Club (RCPC) John Gillians said the sport of pickleball is “exploding” everywhere, Owensboro included. In only six months, RCPC has seen tremendous growth.
“We started our organization in March with 14 members, and today we have 117 members in our club,” Gillian said. “One hundred plus of those 117 are active pickleball players, so we’re very excited with where we’re at.”
The four courts at York Park will cost $24,000 total, said Owensboro Parks & Recreation Director Amanda Rogers. The City and RCPC will pay $12,000 each. The City will be in charge of court maintenance, said City Manager Nate Pagan.
“The City’s share of the costs is available through existing funds currently budgeted, and so no additional City funds are needed,” Pagan said. “With the existing tennis courts at Moreland Park and Center Court, many other tennis courts are available in close proximity to York Pork.”
Currently, there are two active pickleball organizations in Owensboro — RCPC and the Owensboro Pickleball Association (OPA). Gillian said his organization has the same focus as OPA — they both want to grow the sport of pickleball — but a different vision.
“Our vision is that we are trying to create opportunities for recreational pickleball players who play,” Gillian said. “I hate that I’m speaking for the OPA, but their vision is more big events, and tournaments and fundraising, and that’s one thing we didn’t do.”
OPA wrapped up their inaugural Pickle Festival last weekend, a fundraising event to help convert tennis courts at Yellow Creek Park to pickleball courts. In early 2018, Daviess County Fiscal Court gave OPA first rights to the park’s tennis courts if the organization was able to raise the estimated $112,000 to cover the costs to convert them.
Rather than fundraise, RCPC came up with the money for this project and partnership with the City on its own.
“We went to our members and told them, ‘If this is something we all want to do, we want you to put some skin in the game,’” he said. “I can honestly say that 100 percent of our funding for this project and this complex has come from our membership.”
Gillian said RCPC did have some corporate sponsorships help with funding, but that each of those sponsorships stemmed from relationships with RCPC members.
Even with different visions, Gillian said pickleball members can be involved with both associations, just as he is, and complimented the City for its willingness to work with RCPC in bringing Owensboro its first set of pickleball courts.
“This partnership is a cost-effective method for providing new amenities in our parks system,” Pagan said.
