The future of pickleball and tennis in Okotoks will be on display during an open house next week.
Set for the Foothills Centennial Centre on Thursday, May 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m., the open house and fundraising kick-off will give a glimpse of what the Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre could look like.
It comes after the Town identified the need for more pickleball courts and selected a site for a purpose-built racquet centre last year.
Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre director Greg Auld said plans for the building include over a dozen indoor courts and a similar number of outdoor courts.
“It's going to be probably one of a kind, at least in Western Canada, if not all of Canada,” he said
The racquet centre will be operated as a non-profit, funded through grants and donations, and will be built near 32 Street in north Okotoks.
Land for the building will be leased from the Town, Auld said.
He envisions thousands of students from area schools using the centre.
“We're planning on training 10,000 kids over five years through the school programs,” he said. “One of our big initiatives is to get the community involved and get the community playing.”
Information about the new facility, including location, timelines and progress to date, will be available at the open house, the organization said.
The Town of Okotoks will contribute $2 million for the racquet centre and said the building would bring economic and social benefits to the community.
“The new facility will provide a mix of free, low cost and paid recreation opportunities, as well as serve as a gathering place for residents,” the Town said.
“It will also have the capacity to host provincial and international tournaments, drawing significant economic benefits to the local economy.”
Auld said the project budget is approximately $10 million, about $6 million of which needs to be raised.
People are asked to register for the open house in advance at [email protected].
