Northport Considers Pickleball Facility For Kentuck Park

NORTHPORT, AL — Few sports have gained popularity as quickly as pickleball, with Northport leaders and Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports (TTS) hoping to capitalize on a need for a dedicated facility in the Tuscaloosa metropolitan area.

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Pickleball players use rackets resembling a ping-pong paddle to hit a plastic ball similar to a wiffle ball over a net, much in the same way as in tennis. The burgeoning sport has become a popular fixture in community centers and municipal parks all over the country, particularly among senior citizens, but also with players of all ages.

Despite a range of recreational offerings around the area, there has yet to be a facility dedicated solely to pickleball, which prompted Northport officials to begin considering the tennis courts at Kentuck Park.

City Administrator Glenda Webb said during Monday's Community Outreach Committee meeting that she has had recent discussions with other jurisdictions around the metro about the concept, particularly at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama's recent Next Level Summit last week.

A central theme in these conversations, she said, was avoiding any duplication of services, in favor of recreational concepts that complement one another.

"As you’re aware, they have the Tennis Center in Tuscaloosa, so if we look at a pickleball facility here, it seems like something that is needed and can bring people from all over the county to our facility," she said.

Northport City Engineer Tera Tubbs said the city and TTS are currently in the due diligence phase of the project, with an eye toward converting the tennis courts at Kentuck Park that are in desperate need of attention.

"Unfortunately, they are in such bad shape that it’s not jut going to be a matter of restriping them like we thought," she told Patch on Monday. "If we’re going to have to start from scratch, then we have to ask what we want that facility to look like. We want something for the local public to use and if we do it, should we take advantage of the tourism aspect."

Tubbs then pointed out the interest in the project had by TTS. Indeed, outgoing President and CEO Don Staley has been arguably the most vocal advocate for a facility dedicated to pickleball somewhere in the area after seeing its boom in popularity.

Tubbs then said Northport and TTS officials are planning to look at a pickleball facility in Naples, Florida, which is the annual host of the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships. The event will be help from April 23-30 at East Naples Community Park.

"We also know that Auburn/Opelika has built one and they are maxed out on their capacity," Tubbs said.

To her point, the Opelika Pickleball Facility is free to the public, open 24 hours a day, provides 12 individually-fenced courts and is covered by a large canopy.

"Being that we have so many recreational components in that vicinity, we’re trying to come up with a kind of master plan to show pickleball, baseball, and softball at Kentuck," Tubbs said. "We have a trailhead close with the Levee Trail. So, TTS is working with TTL, Inc. to see what this looks like."

Webb then pointed out that Tuscaloosa-based TTL is actively working on a rendering of the proposed pickleball facility to then be used for a grant application to cover the cost.

"We are continually evaluating and on Friday took up a suggestion previously generated through the Citizens Advisory Committee for the pavilion and trailhead across the street from the [Northport Wastewater Treatment Plant at 3rd Street and 30th Avenue]," Webb said. "We submitted a grant Friday for $100,000 and, if we are successful with that grant, then we can compete for an additional $100,000."

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