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Council and park board highlight pickleball courts, fieldhouse and Unity Village park plans
Summary
Park staff and board showcased multiple projects — a 12‑court outdoor pickleball complex at Longview (opening Feb. 2026), a 98,000‑sq‑ft indoor fieldhouse (targeted opening 2027), and a 30‑acre conservation‑oriented master plan near Discovery Park emphasizing trails and mountain‑bike features.
Park department leaders and Park Board members used the joint session to present a series of near‑term and concept projects for Lee's Summit parks.
Steve Casey, superintendent of park planning and construction, reviewed the recently enacted park impact fee (effective July 1, 2025) that sets nonresidential rates at 20¢ per square foot and residential fees at $250 per bedroom; staff reported roughly $220,000 collected since July 1. "Those fees are set at 20¢ a square foot," Casey said in his overview of how development will contribute to parks improvements.
On specific projects, Casey and project staff described the Longview Pickleball Complex: 12 regulation outdoor courts with LED lighting, a large 60‑foot shade canopy and a mix of first‑come and reserved courts (four courts reservable through the city's website). Staff said construction began in September and the city anticipates opening the courts in February 2026.
The indoor sports complex (fieldhouse) planned at Oldham Village was presented as a destination tournament facility. Project manager David Dean said the design is about 85% complete for a roughly 98,000 square‑foot facility with 10 regulation basketball courts, 14 volleyball courts, seating, concessions and meeting space for 250 people. Staff expects to issue the project for bid in late March or April 2026 with construction starting in late summer or early fall and an opening targeted for late summer 2027.
For an undeveloped 30‑acre property between I‑470 and Colburn Road, staff shared a master plan emphasizing passive, conservation‑focused amenities: walking trails, mountain‑bike flow lines, nature play, treetop adventure features and connections to Unity Village and Discovery Park via a proposed underpass. Casey said the site is roughly 95% wooded and unsuitable for large ballfields because of terrain, so planners focused on trail‑oriented programming.
Board members and councilors praised staff engagement and the prospect that the fieldhouse and related park investments will draw regional visitors and tournament traffic. Park Board members emphasized earlier stakeholder involvement and the project's potential to relieve pressure on school gyms and scattered courts across the metro.
Staff indicated plans to continue stakeholder briefings and to bring further details to the park board in January and to the council as funding and timelines firm up.
