Outdoor Pickleball Complex: Feasibility in Focus

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Pickleball continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports in America, with participation increasing 223.5% over the past three years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

The City's ReCreate: Parks & Recreation Master Plan, adopted in 2021, assessed community usage data and determined the need for an additional 13 pickleball courts by 2040 to provide equitable access, and meet desired levels of service.

Through awarded City Give funds, donated by the Fort Collins Pickleball Club, an outdoor pickleball complex study is now underway to determine if an existing community park site can help close the gap in the short term while waiting for future community parks to be built.

For this project, an outdoor pickleball complex is a specialized recreational facility equipped with 12 designated pickleball courts. Typically featuring a hard surface like asphalt or concrete, these courts are marked with pickleball lines and equipped with nets for gameplay. The complex often includes amenities such as seating areas, shade structures, and lighting for evening play.

The current parks system includes the following inventory of pickleball courts:

  • (8) dedicated outdoor pickleball courts
  • (44) striped for pickleball on outdoor multi-use courts
    • (25) on tennis
    • (19) on other
  • Up to (12) indoor pickleball courts

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
As part of the research for the pickleball feasibility assessment, staff from the City's Park Planning & Development Division completed a thorough review of community parks to determine if an outdoor complex could realistically be installed in any location.

Using criteria that took into account existing infrastructure, space, noise, and safety constraints, as well as location and connectivity factors, each community park was put into a weighted matrix for consideration.

This preliminary research identified two potential locations suitable for a 12-court outdoor pickleball complex – Spring Canyon Community Park and Fossil Creek Community Park.

CriteriaWeightPark Location


Fossil CreekSpring CanyonEdoraCity ParkRolland MooreLee MartinezTwin Silo
Adequate space for complex & amenities2XX




Neighborhood setback for noise reduction2XX
X


Adequate parking capacity2X
X
X

Existing restroom facilities nearby2XX


X
Out of floodway2XXXX

X
Adequate space for detention1XX




Court orientation1XX
X


Central or service gap location1XXX



Separation from tennis courts1X

X

X
Minimal impact to infrastructure1XXX
XXX
Public transportation1

XXX

Trail connectivity1XXX
XX
Totals
161387544


We want to hear from you!

Do you play pickleball? Do you want a pickleball complex built in an established community park? Or, do you not support this project idea?

Take the Outdoor Pickleball Complex: Feasibility in Focus questionnaire to share your thoughts. The questionnaire feedback will help measure community interest, inform complex location, and assess community engagement needs. The questionnaire will be open through June 7.

>> Take the Questionnaire


Pickleball continues to be one of the fastest-growing sports in America, with participation increasing 223.5% over the past three years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

The City's ReCreate: Parks & Recreation Master Plan, adopted in 2021, assessed community usage data and determined the need for an additional 13 pickleball courts by 2040 to provide equitable access, and meet desired levels of service.

Through awarded City Give funds, donated by the Fort Collins Pickleball Club, an outdoor pickleball complex study is now underway to determine if an existing community park site can help close the gap in the short term while waiting for future community parks to be built.

For this project, an outdoor pickleball complex is a specialized recreational facility equipped with 12 designated pickleball courts. Typically featuring a hard surface like asphalt or concrete, these courts are marked with pickleball lines and equipped with nets for gameplay. The complex often includes amenities such as seating areas, shade structures, and lighting for evening play.

The current parks system includes the following inventory of pickleball courts:

  • (8) dedicated outdoor pickleball courts
  • (44) striped for pickleball on outdoor multi-use courts
    • (25) on tennis
    • (19) on other
  • Up to (12) indoor pickleball courts

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
As part of the research for the pickleball feasibility assessment, staff from the City's Park Planning & Development Division completed a thorough review of community parks to determine if an outdoor complex could realistically be installed in any location.

Using criteria that took into account existing infrastructure, space, noise, and safety constraints, as well as location and connectivity factors, each community park was put into a weighted matrix for consideration.

This preliminary research identified two potential locations suitable for a 12-court outdoor pickleball complex – Spring Canyon Community Park and Fossil Creek Community Park.

CriteriaWeightPark Location


Fossil CreekSpring CanyonEdoraCity ParkRolland MooreLee MartinezTwin Silo
Adequate space for complex & amenities2XX




Neighborhood setback for noise reduction2XX
X


Adequate parking capacity2X
X
X

Existing restroom facilities nearby2XX


X
Out of floodway2XXXX

X
Adequate space for detention1XX




Court orientation1XX
X


Central or service gap location1XXX



Separation from tennis courts1X

X

X
Minimal impact to infrastructure1XXX
XXX
Public transportation1

XXX

Trail connectivity1XXX
XX
Totals
161387544


We want to hear from you!

Do you play pickleball? Do you want a pickleball complex built in an established community park? Or, do you not support this project idea?

Take the Outdoor Pickleball Complex: Feasibility in Focus questionnaire to share your thoughts. The questionnaire feedback will help measure community interest, inform complex location, and assess community engagement needs. The questionnaire will be open through June 7.

>> Take the Questionnaire

  • Overview of ReCreate: Parks & Recreation Master Plan

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    Rooted in the ReCreate: Parks & Recreation Master Plan's commitment to increasing the community's access to pickleball courts, City staff have met with active pickleball players over the last few years to explore options to address growing trends.

    While the budget funds existing pickleball programs and court maintenance, the City did not have funding for staff to assess site feasibility for a future pickleball complex. The Fort Collins Pickleball Club agreed to fund the site assessment through City Give. The donation from the Fort Collins Pickleball Club will only inform the City’s future decision-making, and does not guarantee an outcome. The funds will underwrite community engagement and the feasibility exploration of a potential 12-court outdoor complex in a community park.

    Feasibility and community engagement will be shaped and defined by City standards, including the ReCreate: Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

  • About City Give

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    In 2019, the City established City Give to provide a transparent, reliable pathway for residents to support services, missions, and programs that may fall outside the budget, but are well-positioned for private funding.

    Many layers of best-practice philanthropic guidelines ensure such charitable giving is not a political vehicle or beyond the reach and transparency of public oversight. Most importantly, charitable gifts must reflect the priorities and needs of the City of Fort Collins and align with City Plans and the City’s strategic objectives.

    City Give partnership examples include such projects as The Hand That Feeds, Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado, and the Community Center for Creativity at the historic Carnegie Library.

Page last updated: 08 May 2024, 05:25 PM