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Pickleball group asks Richland County for $15,000 to finish Musgrove Park improvements
Summary
The White School Pickleball Association asked the Richland County Board for a $15,000 contribution to close a funding gap on Phase 2 of Musgrove Park courts, saying the project totals about $165,000 and WSPA will cover roughly half. The city has approved and funded 40% of the project.
Trevor, a representative of the White School Pickleball Association, told the Richland County Board the group seeks a $15,000 county contribution to complete Phase 2 improvements at Musgrove Park, including restrooms, shade structures, bleacher covers, parking lot lighting and signage. He said the construction estimate is roughly $163,000–$165,000 and the association plans to contribute about $83,000, while the city has approved the project and funded about 40% of the cost.
The request, presented during the board’s meeting, was framed as closing the final portion of a previously negotiated 50/50 public funding split. Trevor said the association has fundraised about $400,000 over six years for earlier work at the courts and anticipates that a county allocation of $15,000 from general contingency would allow the group to finalize designs, contract professional services and keep the project on a timeline that aims for an October Phase 2 completion.
Board members asked for clarification on city approval and funding. Trevor confirmed the city had approved the plan and funded roughly 40 percent; he said the association’s stated WSPA contribution is about $83,000 and that the organization is already self-managing the build to reduce costs. He also noted donor fatigue in the small community and urged consolidating remaining items into a single phase to limit repeated fundraising appeals.
Trevor presented participant survey results and usage data to show regional impact: he said the courts have attracted about 16,000 unique visits on average over the past two years, a median player age near 40, and significant out-of-town engagement at tournaments. He suggested the county could also consider alternate funding sources and mentioned that some Illinois communities have redirected opioid settlement funds to public-access recreation projects; he presented that option for board consideration but did not request a decision on that source.
The board did not take a final vote on the request at the meeting; several members said they would place the item on a future agenda so the finance committee could review contingency lines and funding options. The presenter said he would provide ZIP-code and cell-phone–based visitation estimates before the next meeting if requested.
