Following years of fundraising and months of construction, the new pickleball courts at Colony Park Community Center are now open.
Community members and pickleball lovers joined the City of Atascadero and the Atascadero Pickleball Club at the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday morning.
The four permanent courts are located behind the Colony Park Community Center at 5599 Traffic Way near the outdoor basketball courts.
The City of Atascadero says pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in recent years, and is something the entire family can enjoy.
“We have over 80 members in our club alone. Pickleball is important to the entire community because anybody of any age can play pickleball, kids on up to retirees,” said Barbara Sims, president of the Atascadero Pickle Ball Incorporated Club. “We have one-member of our club that is 90 years old and plays pickleball with us every morning.”
According to the City, Kirk Construction of Atascadero was hired to construct the nearly $250,000 project. Funding sources for the courts include $150,000 in City Parkland Facilities Impact Fees, with the remaining funding from five years worth of generous donations and in-kind services collected by the Atascadero Pickleball Club.
“We did some larger scale fundraisers, we raised $50,000 dollars, we had Home Depot donate money,” added Sims.
The City would like to remind people interested in using the courts to use the parking lot near the softball fields along Traffic Way for now since the community center's parking lot is temporarily closed.
