The District of Lunenburg is moving ahead with a new plan to build six accessible pickleball courts at the Municipal Activity and Recreation Centre (MARC) in Dayspring.
Council initially budgeted $800,000 for the project in 2023, but the tenders received earlier this year were well over budget — coming in at $1.45 million and $1.8 million. That led council to reject both bids and commit to revising the project in partnership with the South Shore Pickleball Club.
Over the past year, staff and club members have worked together to scale back the project while maintaining its core features. The new estimated construction cost is $555,000. With grant funding expected to cover $150,000 of that, the municipality says its cost — including lease payments over 15 years — will come in under $300,000.
“We heard loud and clear how important this facility is to our residents,” said Mayor Elspeth McLean-Wile. “While last year’s bids were far beyond what we could responsibly commit to, we didn’t give up. Thanks to the dedication of our staff and the incredible support and partnership of the South Shore Pickleball Club, we now have a plan that gets the project done without exceeding our financial limits.”
Jared Uhlman, president of the South Shore Pickleball Club, said the courts will be a major benefit to both seasoned players and newcomers to the sport.
“The construction of these courts will be the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration,” Uhlman said. “We’re also excited for these courts to serve as a catalyst for introducing many new players to North America’s fastest-growing sport.”
Once completed, the courts will be operated and maintained by the club, with scheduled time set aside for public use and municipal recreation programming.
The municipality says more information on timelines and project details will be released once finalized.
