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Hammond converts Gene Shepherd Center into busy pickleball facility, opens space for community events
Summary
City officials described the Gene Shepherd Center's recent conversion into a 12‑court pickleball facility, laid out scheduled hours for leagues and public play, and said the change has greatly increased use of the building.
Mayor and city staff described the Gene Shepherd Center’s conversion into a dedicated pickleball facility and credited the change with turning a largely underused building into a near‑constant community hub. The mayor said the repurposed building is ‘‘slammed.’’
City leaders say the conversion matters because it put an idle facility back into regular public use and created a new recreational draw for Hammond and nearby communities. Park officials also said the center can host non‑pickleball events ranging from birthday parties to model‑airplane demonstrations.
Jim Talon, parks department (Park Department), said weekday mornings host organized league play, midday hours are reserved for casual public use and evenings return to league play. "What we do every morning, during the weekdays from 9 to 12, there will be pickleball leagues in here," Talon said. He described 12 courts inside the building, weekday open‑play from about noon to 5 p.m. for Hammond residents, and evening league times from about 5 to 9 p.m. Talon said the facility draws large weekend crowds — “there will be 150 people here on a Saturday and Sunday" — and that players travel from outside the city to use the courts.
The mayor and Councilman Dave Vorpahl (Fifth District Councilman) said the building was falling into disuse before staff proposed the conversion and that the city used targeted investments and grant or gaming revenue to fund the retrofit. Building manager Chrissy Nelson (Gene Shepherd Center building manager) and parks staff said the converted layout includes space for parties and other events separate from pickleball activity.
City staff also said the center is available for a broad range of community uses beyond pickleball. Talon said the facility has hosted mixed events such as an MMA event and model‑aircraft demonstrations and that staff can book corporate and private events on request. City staff encouraged residents to contact the building manager or parks staff for scheduling details and pricing.
The mayor and parks staff said they will monitor demand and programming; no new policy or formal budget action was proposed during Mayor's Night Out.
A copy of facility hours and contact information is available from the parks department upon request.
