City moves forward on Demuth Park pickleball project; developer contract approved and temporary 12‑court site planned

The Palm Springs Parks and Recreation Commission received an update July 28 on the city’s long‑running Demuth Park pickleball project and on temporary courts being installed to serve players while construction proceeds. Lede: City staff and project managers said the long‑delayed permanent pickleball project has a construction contract approved by the City Council; the final design will deliver 22 courts rather than the 24 originally planned to keep the project within budget. Staff also said a temporary 12‑court site will open in early August while the permanent site is built. Nut graf: The project has been several years in the making and faced rising installation costs and bid rejections earlier this year. City staff said they negotiated design reductions — two fewer permanent courts and fewer shade structures — to keep the project under budget; the contract award was reported to council on July 21. Key details: Project managers said the permanent site will keep the championship court and planned amenities, but will omit two courts that could be installed later if funding becomes available. The temporary site will provide 12 courts, operate from 7 a.m. to dusk (no lighting), and will be accessible from Hermosa for parking. Staff estimated the revised contract and associated value will leave roughly $200,000 under the original project budget, and public works expects work on the temporary site to start in early August and take two to three weeks. Quotes: John Brickley, project manager for Parks and Recreation, summarized site preparation work already completed: “They installed the gate, the gravel pathway, all of the fence work has been complete.” A later project update to the commission noted: “With some minor modifications, we are now coming in $200,000 under budget for this project.” Discussion and next steps: Commissioners asked about signage and public notice for both temporary and permanent work. Staff said they will post construction signage and a schedule before the temporary courts open and will finalize a groundbreaking and public‑notification timeline once the contractor mobilizes. What was not decided: No change to the permanent site’s overall footprint was approved by the commission at the meeting; the contract award and bid decisions were actions of City Council and project staff. The commission did not vote on the contract at this meeting. Ending: Staff said they will circulate the final construction schedule and install public signage once the contractor confirms mobilization dates.