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Brainerd Park Board tells staff to consult tennis players as pickleball group readies fundraising
Summary
The Park Board asked staff to consult the tennis community before promising a Pickleball Association a conversion of Gregory Park courts; the association says it can raise roughly $70,00090$75,000 to resurface and outfit eight courts and wants assurance before fundraising begins.
The Brainerd City Park Board voted Dec. 17 to direct staff and a board liaison to consult local tennis users before granting a community pickleball association the assurance it requested to begin fundraising to convert Gregory Park tennis courts.
Board members said the regional Pickleball Association told them it is confident it can raise about $70,000 to $75,000 to resurface and equip eight dedicated pickleball courts. A Park Board member summarized the association—9s estimate, saying, "they could raise, what I think we agreed was about probably 70 to $75,000, to have that resurfaced, re striped, re netted, to, like 8 pickleball courts." The association asked for confirmation the city would designate the surface for pickleball before launching major fundraising.
Park Board members said rising pickleball demand is straining indoor and outdoor facilities and that converting an existing court could be a cost-effective solution. At the same time, several members emphasized outreach to tennis players to avoid unexpectedly displacing current users. "They can't take away our courts," one board member said, urging staff to assess tennis usage and association representation.
Board members discussed operational ideas the association proposed, including limited reserved hours and a wristband-drop-in system used in other communities (for example, an 8 a.m. to noon wristband window). The board also identified installation details the association must address before a final city commitment, including embedded poles and coring for nets.
The Park Board asked staff to inventory tennis courts in the area, obtain another bid closer to the planned work, and coordinate with the city finance office to set up a designated fund for any matched contributions. Board members set a goal to return with more information at the January meeting with the intention of deciding before the spring/summer season.
Next steps: staff will reach out to local tennis players and associations, compile bids and usage data, and present findings to the Park Board in January so the board can decide whether to guarantee a conversion and allow the association to begin fundraising.
