Work could begin later next year on the building of an outdoor 12-court pickleball facility in Fort Collins.
The project at this point appears to be slated to go up in the Fossil Creek Community Park at 5821 S. Lemay Avenue on the south side of the city.
Subject of a three-year study process, determining that Colorado’s fourth largest city will likely build over a dozen new pickleball courts by the year 2040, the project has also been the subject of considerable public input.
In addition, an early summer online questionnaire revealed that 89% of respondents were in favor of such a facility even beyond the usual 12-court size.
As in many parts of the country, pickleball enthusiasm has been palpable in Fort Collins, where more than 1,700 people are members of a group called the Fort Collins Pickleball Club.
The Fort Collins response is part of a larger movement that, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, encompasses more than 36 million players. Public and private developers are daily anticipating a demand for at least 25,000 new courts nationally.
A timetable for the Fort Collins project sees it going to the city for development review before the end of this year.
October 29, 2024
By Garry Boulard
Photo Courtesy of Unsplash