North Park tennis courts to become pickle ball courts

The growing popularity of pickle ball is coming to Coal City.
Mayor Dave Spezia and the board of trustees, in search of more recreational opportunities for residents, identified pickle ball courts as an easy, affordable improvement for North Park.
Pickleball is a simple paddle game played with a baseball-sized wiffleball over a tennis-type net on a badminton-sized court. Its appeal is the size of the court is smaller than tennis so people of all ages, as singles or doubles, can play.
The mayor and trustees believe the time is right to convert North Park’s tennis courts into picket ball courts now that Coal City High School recently unveiled its new tennis courts. The North Park was due for its own renovation as well.
It is hoped the provision of pickle ball courts at North Park will eliminate the deterioration of the playing surface at the high school and provide newly renovated spaces and which local residents can enjoy pickle ball.
Village Trustee CJ Lauterbur recently attended the Coaler DRIVE Parks & Recreation Action Commitee meeting, following a recent Parks Board meeting, to discuss the upcoming changes.
“Everyone will be able to see some changes at the North Park very soon,” Lauterbur commented. “Public Works will be removing a portion of the fencing and existing floor tiles will be pulled up to make way for the new playing surface. This will be an immediate impact of meeting the needs expressed by our residents.”
The village is working with the local Coal City Tennis Association, a nonprofit, which pledged annual pickle ball tournament revenues to assist with the rehabilitation of the courts.
While the area located at the southwest corner of North Street and North Broadway is currently in disrepair, it will make way for the new pickle ball court after D Construction resurfaces the playing surface and Public Works provides a few layers of newly treated topcoats to bring regulation pickle ball courts to coal city.
This improvement is one of several projects that will take place this season for Coal City.
North Park will also receive a new basketball playing surface and additional pickle ball courts will be poured this fall on the north side of the newly established Meadow Estates Park.