COLUMBUS – The City of Columbus soon will upgrade recreational amenities at Columbus Community Park to provide three courts for pickleball players, thanks to a $18,758 grant from the Lower Colorado River Authority.
The Community Development Partnership Program grant, along with $4,800 in matching funds from the City of Columbus, will enable the city to refurbish the park’s existing covered basketball court and add pickleball striping, energy-efficient LED lighting with timed controls and new fencing. The improvements will enable community members to enjoy both basketball and pickleball at the same location, increasing the versatility of one of the city’s most popular recreational spaces. “We actually added a pickleball court at our MidTown Park a couple of years ago and found that our community was eager for multiple courts,” Columbus City Manager Donald Warschak said. “They also asked for the courts to have shelter from the weather and the ability to play into the evening, so this project is exactly what the community asked for.”
The LED lighting system will improve security and enable players to play at the site after dark, and the timer will help conserve energy by preventing lights from being left on unnecessarily. The updated facility will offer flexible configurations for full- court basketball, one to three pickleball courts, or a combination of both.
The park, which is open seven days a week, currently features four baseball fields, five soccer fields, playground equipment, picnic areas and a gazebo. While many of the amenities serve youth activities, the addition of pickleball offers an accessible, low-impact sport that appeals to adults, seniors and families, Warschak said.“Pickleball is a lower-impact sport that promotes cardiovascular health, as well as providing mental health benefits as a social activity,” he said. “The new courts can be enjoyed by all ages and entire families.”
The community grant is one of 45 grants awarded recently through LCRA’s Community Development Partnership Pro- gram, which helps volunteer fire departments, local governments, emergency responders and non- profit organizations fund eligible capital improvement projects in LCRA’s wholesale electric, water and transmission service areas. The program is part of LCRA’s effort to give back to the communities it serves.
