A new pickleball facility is coming to Ben Hawes Park through a partnership between the City of Owensboro and the River City Pickleball Club.
Alex Ross, River City Pickleball Club President, said that they have more than 500 members and are continuing to grow. He said with the quick growth came a new need for a home.
Owensboro Parks and Recreation Director Amanda Rogers said that after seeing the exponential growth in pickleball in the community and nationwide, she wanted to make sure Owensboro accommodated the sport.
“I think we’re finally seeing the national trend of pickleball hit our region and it’s not going away. I think that it’ll be a very popular sport, for here and ever more,” Rogers said. “It’s nice to be able to provide a location and a home for a majority of people who play a specific sport.”
The decision to build a facility at Ben Hawes, Rogers said, was in part to ensure they reduce upfront capital costs by using land the City already owned. Plus, it offers proximity to other amenities and activities.
City Manager Nate Pagan said per the agreement, the City will provide a $2 match for every $1 the River City Pickleball Club raises — up to a maximum of a $1 million contribution. Pagan also noted the club can seek sponsorship abilities to help with funding.
Pagan said there are no blueprints or renderings of what this will look like at this time.
“However, both parties envision a tournament quality facility to host events and also serve our fast-growing local pickleball club. This is a great public-private partnership,” Pagan said.
According to Pagan, the intention is for the facility to be placed near the park entryway by Booth Field Road. That would allow it to be near parking, bathrooms, and the playground.
Ross said the addition of this facility will greatly enhance the pickleball scene.
“This will be a great way to alleviate pressure but also bring that sense of community for pickleball,” he said. “So we’re excited for it and we’re excited to bring it to our membership.”
