Pickleball Coming to Burdette Park in $472K Project; Could be Finished by Fall 2023

WNIN | By Tim Jagielo

Published July 26, 2023 at 2:27 PM CDT

Budette Park Director Zach Wathen crouches in the existing tennis court area, flanked by cracks in the playing surface. He said the courts cannot be resurfaced — irrigation issues will bring the cracks back to the surface. — Budette Park Director Zach Wathen crouches in the existing tennis court area, flanked by cracks in the playing surface. He said the courts cannot simply be resurfaced — irrigation issues will bring the cracks back to the surface.

Vanderburgh’s only county park will better accommodate growing sport by removing old tennis courts, building tennis and pickleball courts in its place

On Tuesday afternoon, the Vanderburgh County Board of Commissioners awarded a construction bid to Empire Contractors to build pickleball and tennis courts at Burdette Park.

The contract is for $472,000, and work will begin after the pools close, starting in mid-August. James Morley, president of the project engineering firm, said it should be “substantially complete” by fall, with a final surface coating in Spring of 2024.

This project will replace the existing four tennis courts with two tennis courts and six pickleball courts. Included is new lighting, new fencing and a new water drainage system to prevent cracks from forming, which is the problem with the current tennis courts.

Burdette Park Director Zach Wathen said the current facility doesn't cater to this growing sport of pickleball.

“Right now we have tennis courts that people can tape pickleball lines on, but that's not ideal, and especially not ideal for how fast Pickleball is growing,” Wathen said.

These cracks — some an inch thick — are seen throughout the four tennis courts in Burdette park.

County Commissioner Cheryl Musgrave said, “this brings Burdette Park in line with today’s hottest sport. The public will be able to enjoy old favorites and new ones.”

Wathen proposed this project in December, and said he, along with the commission, are taking the time to execute the project correctly. The first task will be pulling up the damaged existing tennis courts and starting over.

This project will stay within the existing footprint of the four tennis courts.

Wathen said this project represents a halfway point in completing the major projects the park needs. The next step might be improving the rentable chalets.

“We're kind of halfway into like the big overall overhaul of the park,” he said. “I think the next things are maybe looking at the chalets, some campground stuff we want to look at, but we're on the tail end of the recreation side.”

The chalets, which are rentable fully-furnished shelters with decks and loft sleeping, were built in the ‘80s are in generally good condition but could use some updating, he said.

There’s also two playgrounds to be installed in the next 60 to 90 days.

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Burdette park has four tennis courts built in the 1980s. Director Zach Wathan said improper drainage is the reason for the cracks over the playing surface. He said this problem will be solved with the new courts. — Burdette park has four tennis courts built in the 1980s. Director Zach Wathen said improper drainage is the reason for the cracks over the playing surface. He said this problem will be solved with the new courts.