BURLINGTON — Construction is underway on a 17-court pickleball complex at City Park as well as six permanent pickleball courts at Fairchild Park.
The Burlington Pickleball Complex, near the Burlington Tennis Center at City Park, will include one shaded “championship court” with bleachers for spectators. There will be additional spectator shade structures throughout the facility and a new restroom building.
At Fairchild Park, two tennis courts are being converted to six pickleball courts. Seating and shade structures will be built there as well.
The championship court at City Park highlights an important aspect of the project — sports tourism, city officials say. Athletic tournaments for adults and youth are economic opportunities because people travel to a city to play, often staying in hotels, eating in local restaurants and shopping at local stores.
Like the new synthetic turf soccer/lacrosse fields at Springwood Park, the Burlington Pickleball Complex will help make the city a destination for the regional athletic tournament play that can generate a lot of revenue for Burlington businesses, the city said.
Games are often played in doubles format, and the size of the courts — smaller than tennis courts — allows for easier interaction with the opposing team.
More than 36 million Americans are estimated to play pickleball, and the highest concentration is in the Southeast.
