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Grayson County wins roughly $1.5 million Wellspring grant for parks, pavilions and pickleball courts
Summary
Grayson County announced it has been awarded about $1.5 million from the Wellspring Foundation for a two‑year outdoor recreation program that will fund pickleball courts, playgrounds, a pavilion at Powerhouse Falls and other improvements across several communities.
Grayson County announced July 9 it has been awarded a Wellspring Foundation grant of roughly $1.5 million to fund outdoor recreation improvements across multiple communities over two years.
Tracy Kerman, the county’s tourism and economic development director, told the Board of Supervisors the funding is the largest outdoor‑recreation grant the county has received. The grant was prepared with input from an outdoor‑wellness survey that produced 264 usable responses and was written to match Wellspring’s five priority areas, Kerman said.
Kerman provided a broad allocation breakdown: the county park project receives about 18–22 percent of the funds; Flatridge Community Center will receive roughly 38 percent (including a pavilion with a stage and outdoor kitchen); White Top and Elk Creek will receive smaller shares (5–9 percent) for playground improvements, outdoor adult fitness equipment, electrical upgrades and a walking track; Troutdale and Mount Rogers School were also named for upgrades.
Kerman said the grant does not require a cash match but that in‑kind contributions (volunteer hours, existing county capital investments and other grants) strengthened the application; staff estimated about $350,000 in in‑kind match. The grant includes a contingency (about 9 percent) and roughly 10 percent for project administration and reporting. Kerman said procurement is underway and that construction is expected to begin by the end of the calendar year, with work staggered across two years.
Board members thanked staff for pursuing the funding and several local recreation users described a need for prompt maintenance on existing courts while the county builds new facilities. One resident who identified herself as a recreation leader said the county’s pickleball courts draw players from neighboring counties and urged faster repairs to existing courts while new courts are built.
The grant will be administered by county staff with project‑level decisions made in consultation with community partners and the Grayson County recreation board. No appropriation vote was recorded at the July 9 meeting; staff said disbursements will occur via scheduled drawdowns over the two‑year grant period.
