Pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the country for folks aged 55 and older, is gaining a foothold in Streetsboro.
The city has just completed four pickleball courts at City Park and is looking forward to a grand opening in August. No solid date yet, but Parks Director Greg Mytinger hopes to have the courts officially open before the city’s bicentennial bash, which kicks into high gear Aug. 20 and 21.
The new pickleball courts are just one of several projects in various stages of development that the parks department and city are undertaking.
Streetsboro’s newest park has been approved for state funding, clearing the way for work to start next year on a walking path, pavilion, exercise station and floating fishing dock. Donated by Streetsboro-based Geis Companies, the 5.5-acre park will be in the northern quadrant of the city off Aurora-Hudson Road, flanked by I-480 and Joseph Industries.
The property already has a pond that may be stocked with fish for fishing derbies, Mytinger said.
Ohio’s money comes with some strings attached: The city must kick in half of whatever the state provides, he said. That will be up to Streetsboro City Council, which controls the city’s purse strings.
Expect an opening date in 2024.
The city parks department is also seeing conceptual progress on a senior/community center, though where it will be constructed and when are still to be determined. Mytinger said a priority is to have rentable indoor space where city residents could hold events such as parties and showers. Such space is lacking in the city now, he said.
Remember the amphitheater that city leaders plan to build on state Route 303 by the Streetsboro police station? Mytinger said the project is proceeding. The first step is to finalize construction documents and site plans. Then the hard work of securing funding will begin.
No word on when the facility — which will be the largest in the county — will be up and running.
Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.