Pickleball centerpiece of $1.2M Lee Acres expansion proposal
Oct. 18—TUPELO — City officials are looking to serve up a major expansion to Lee Acres Park, including a dozen new courts for what officials say is one of the fastest-growing sports in the area.
The $1.2 million proposed project would see a fenced, lighted 12-court pickleball area, restroom upgrades and a parking lot.
"Pickleball is booming here in Tupelo," Parks and Recreation Director Alex Farned told City Council members during a Monday work session. "They are still looking to find places to play, and something like this would be ideal."
Pickleball is a sport similar to tennis but with a smaller paddle rather than a racket and uses a perforated, hollow ball. The court is much smaller than a tennis court.
According to Martin Herman, ambassador for USA Pickleball, the sport has significant buy-in around Tupelo.
"There are five courts in Mill Village," he said. "We fill them up almost every night."
Herman noted that safety was a concern for the local pickleball players, which Farned said was the reason for a lighted, fenced area. He also noted each court would be individually fenced to protect from stray balls crossing courts.
Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard, in whose ward the park resides, said proponents of the game often talk to him about the importance of expanding pickleball.
The city broke the project down into two phases. The first phase includes the above upgrades, while the second phase also encompasses renovations and upgrades to the Lee Acre Center, among other quality-of-life renovations throughout the park.
Conventions and Visitors Bureau Director Neal McCoy said CVB's board was willing to foot the bill for the first phase of the project and was planning to vote on allocating $1.3 million from its budget at its next meeting. The city, McCoy said, would be expected to fund the second phase of the project through the capital fund.
"Our focus is getting the courts out to meet the demand," McCoy said. "We're trying to get non-traditional sports as well. We need things to help draw visitors in 52 weeks out of the year."
Ward 6 Councilwoman Janet Gaston said the city should look into including shade and rain cover in the future, which McCoy said was not an option in the current budget.
Most of the council members present vocalized support for the project, including Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis, whose ward borders the park.
"That particular park needs to be upgraded, so I think that is really going to highlight things," she said.
Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis said the project would take about 18 months to complete once started. The CVB is expected to take up the project at its November meeting, after which the city must approve a budget amendment for the project to start.
