A report headed to LaSalle town council Tuesday evening proposes a compromise for the LaSalle Pickleball Association.
The association approached the town requesting to change two of the four tennis courts at Front Road Park from tennis into dedicated pickleball courts.
Dave Bussey, president, LaSalle Pickleball Association says two tennis courts can make six pickleball courts.
"We've been observing the tennis courts for a while and the ones on Front Road aren't used very much by tennis players and they also have new courts at the Vollmer [Complex], so we thought it would good idea and a cost effective way for the town to effectively make some new pickleball courts."
Administration has since denied the request and has instead proposed converting two of the four tennis courts into dual use courts by painting pickleball lines in a different colour at a cost of $10,000.
The tennis nets would remain and temporary pickleball nets would be available for participants to set up.
Bussey says he's happy the town is working with them.
"The need in LaSalle for pickleball courts was very dire. Most other municipalities in the area have a lot more new facilities."
He says his association had been in talks with the town on building a new facility at the Vollmer, but it had not been approved or funded.
"Part of our goal as a pickleball association is to raise money to help with the town into being able to construct a whole new facility at the Vollmer in the future. This was sort of a temporary measure for us to use Front Road. We know the Front Road courts are not going to be there forever."
The courts on Front Road are scheduled to be removed from the park within the next five years as part of the waterfront development.
Town administration says it intends to explore new pickleball courts at the Vollmer as a potential recommended enhancement in the 2025 budget.
LaSalle council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
