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Pickleball pitch draws council support; city manager cites $353,000 court reconstruction estimate
Summary
A Talladega resident and Oxford pickleball director urged the council to bring pickleball courts to the city; the council asked him to meet with the city manager and parks staff for a planning meeting within 10 days. The city manager later provided a $353,000 reconstruction quote for court conversion.
Kip Chappell, who described himself as the pickleball director for the city of Oxford and a Talladega native, asked the council to consider bringing pickleball courts to Talladega and offered to assist with planning, education and tournament organization.
Chappell said pickleball draws diverse ages and can generate revenue through tournaments and fundraising. "We're averaging a 120 people a night out there on the court," he said while describing Oxford's experience and the social and health benefits he has seen.
Councilors and the chair expressed support and asked Chappell to meet with the city manager and parks staff. The chair requested a planning meeting within 10 days so staff could report back to the council; Chappell agreed to follow up with city staff.
The city manager told the council he had obtained quotes from American Tennis Courts and cited a reconstruction estimate of $353,000 to convert or rebuild courts to a pickleball configuration, information the council said it would use as it considers funding and scope.
No formal funding decision was made at the meeting; councilors directed staff to convene planning discussions and return with options, costs and a timeline for possible court conversions or new construction.
