Pickleball advocates in Eugene say they’ve made progress in fundraising for the construction of a new sports complex at Lane Community College.
The college announced in 2022 that it would provide land near its baseball field for 24 new pickleball courts.
Emerald Valley Pickleball Foundation president Tina Mickelson said interest in the sport locally has grown year after year, but there simply aren't enough places to play right now.
“You go to, for instance, Meadow Park in Springfield. They have eight courts. You can wait 40 minutes,” she said. “You'll play one game, and then you rotate off and wait another 40.”
Initially, project partners had estimated that the new facility would be ready by 2024. But Mickelson said there’s still a gap in funding.
The foundation now estimates the courts will cost $6.9 million to build. Mickelson said the price tag has grown by around 40% since the project started.
As of this month, the foundation said it’s more than halfway towards its goal, with support from the City of Eugene, Travel Lane County, USA Pickleball, and more.
On Tuesday, Peak Credit Union announced it was stepping in to help support the project. It’s offering $500,000 in matching funds through the end of the year as part of a larger 20-year sponsorship.
“You have a sport that does reach out to all abilities of all ages,” said Peak’s CEO David Tuyo. ”It's great for health, and it is also being led by great leaders within the community, and then also partnered with Lane Community College, so it really could not be a better partnership for us.”
Mickelson said the project also may be able to lower its costs with in-kind donations from local material vendors.
Emerald Valley Pickleball Foundation board member Joel Halberg said he’s confident that with Peak’s help, the community will pull the project across the finish line.
Halberg said the goal is to break ground on the project next Spring.
“What that looks like exactly could be a phased approach where we build courts first, and the roofing system hopefully can be funded in time to fall into the construction flow,” said Halberg. “Or it could be that we build courts and then we add a phase two at a later date.”
Mickelson said the college is an ideal spot because there aren’t houses around, so enthusiasts can play late into the evening. Neighbors near courts in Eugene's Westmoreland Park have previously complained to the city about the noise the sport has generated there.
Mickelson said the new facility would also allow the club to host large tournaments, which isn’t currently possible. She argued that it could boost tourism and the local economy.
“Everybody's getting on the pickleball bandwagon, whether it be players, sponsors or broadcasters,” said Mickelson. “And it's only going to continue to grow.”
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