KENT COUNTY, Del. - Kent County could soon have a new place to play pickleball outdoors as Levy Court considers a resolution supporting a grant application for a proposed facility at Big Oak County Park.
The county is seeking $355,000 through Delaware’s Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Trails (ORPT) Grant Program to design and construct an outdoor pickleball facility, comfort station and shade structure.
Kent County has allocated another $355,000 in capital funding to provide the required 50% local match. If the grant is awarded, the project would have approximately $710,000 in total funding.
Jeremy Sheppard, Kent County’s director of community services, said the project is still in the conceptual stages, but the county has been hearing from residents interested in outdoor pickleball for years.
"We've had questions and interest over the past ten years of outdoor pickleball, and Kent County in general falls behind the state, New Castle County and Sussex County, in outdoor pickleball facilities."
The Kent County Recreation Center has offered indoor pickleball for about a decade, but officials say players have also asked about the possibility of an outdoor facility.
Sheppard said that if the project receives the necessary approvals and funding, the county would ideally like to have the courts completed within about a year.
Big Oak County Park, located near Smyrna, currently features a softball complex, multipurpose fields, a playground, pavilions and walking trails.
The proposed project would add outdoor pickleball courts along with amenities designed to make the facility more comfortable for players and visitors.
The resolution would also commit the county to meeting the requirements of the ORPT grant program, including ongoing stewardship of the improvements. The park and improvements made with ORPT funding would remain available to the public for outdoor recreation in perpetuity.
Levy Court is expected to discuss the resolution Tuesday night.
