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Council approves conversion of two Veterans Park tennis courts into six pickleball courts
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Summary
The Saint Peter City Council authorized Tennis West LLC to convert two tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park into six pickleball courts. The project bid is about $50,397; the Pickleball Association will contribute roughly $11,227 and the city will fund the remainder.
The Saint Peter City Council on April 13 approved a resolution authorizing Tennis West LLC to convert two tennis courts at Veterans Memorial Park into six pickleball courts.
Staff, speaking for the absent parks director, told the council the low bid for the work was about $50,397 and said the Pickleball Association has pledged approximately $11,227 toward the project, leaving the city to cover a little more than $39,000. The conversion reflects park board recommendations and prior planning that keeps primary tennis facilities at the high school, staff said.
Council members questioned whether lighting at the high school would offset the loss of lighted courts in Veterans Park; staff said the high school courts are not lighted and that adding lighting had not been part of this project's amenities discussions but can be considered in future work. Parks board members said converting the existing surface will double the number of playable pickleball courts in the same footprint and that Gustavus Adolphus College and an indoor facility provide additional play options.
"Converting them to pickleball courts doubles the number of available pickleball courts that can go in that space," one parks board member said, explaining the decision to repurpose the aging tennis surface.
The council voted by roll call to approve the resolution.
The project is scheduled to proceed under the terms in the council packet; staff said outreach included three in‑person meetings and a survey, but attendance at in‑person meetings was low.
