SYLACAUGA, Ala – A huge crowd gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opened the new Courtside Park, featuring eight fenced pickleball courts, a fenced basketball court, pavilion with seating, filtered water station, restrooms, and a green space.
Director Steve Masters praised the previous City Council for their vision in creating a master plan for the Parks and Recreation department, saying, “We have completed the interactive updates at Noble Park. We open this Courtside Park today, start next week at Beth Yates Park, and we hope to break ground this summer on the new recreation center. Their vision made all this possible.”
Council President Tiffany Nix said, “For this part of the master plan, we knew we hand a real eyesore that needed to be addressed. Turning it into Courtside Park was a true quality of life improvement affecting a lot of people,” as she pointed to the crowd gathered, along with those who filled the courts with play shortly after the ceremony.
Bruce Brooks described every aspect of building the new park, “a joy!”
“Working with the recreation department, the architects, sub-contractors, and all the others involved was a real joy, especially for our Sylacauga-based company. Our crews are all local residents, working hard to build something their community can enjoy,” said Brooks. “It’s something they all feel proud in building!”
Brooks said he wished the project had been ready sooner.
“The courts do not use ordinary asphalt,” Brooks explained. “It’s a very special mix that requires very specific weather conditions during the construction process, especially the temperature. Late winter and early spring don’t always cooperate with what we needed weather-wise to build it in the first-class way it’s supposed to be done, but it’s worth it.”
It is both visually appealing and highly functional, designed to accommodate the growing number of pickleball enthusiasts and built to last.
The park will be open for public use Monday through Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. The pavilion can be rented for birthday parties and the pickleball courts can be rented for tournaments. Please call Sylacauga Parks and Rec’s front desk at (256) 249-8561 or visit sylacauga.recdesk.com for rental pricing.
