The Anaheim Family YMCA will use a federal grant to add pickleball courts to its community sports complex in central Anaheim, hoping to give residents another place to play the highly popular sport.
An $850,000 grant from Rep. Lou Correa’s office will help the nonprofit near its fundraising goal to add the pickleball courts, along with street hockey rinks, to the facility that opened three years ago.
Brent Finlay, CEO of Anaheim YMCA, said pickleball courts are a huge need in Anaheim
“We know pickleball is primarily played by active and even somewhat inactive seniors,” Finlay said. “So we wanted to serve more seniors, so we knew that was the game to bring to Anaheim.”
The Anaheim YMCA expects the expansion to double weekly attendance at the community complex to 8,000 people. Correa said the money for the YMCA is a reflection of what the community values. Growing up in Anaheim, Correa said sports and the YMCA kept him off the streets.
“So I’m a big believer in what you’re doing here,” Correa said Thursday, presenting the check to the Finlay and the YMCA board.
Correa said many in Congress are getting into pickleball and joked that seemingly every week someone on the hill gets injured from playing.
The community complex is being developed in three phases. Phase one, finished three years ago, built artificial turf soccer fields, restrooms and parking. Phase two, which the federal grant is supporting, will add pickleball courts and street hockey and is expected to finish construction by May 2025. The final phase will add a building to host programs.
The complex is near the 5 Freeway next to Betsy Ross Park at 1422 W. Broadway.
“This was a toxic industrial waste site that … we turned it into a beautiful park,” Michael Johnson, chairman of the Anaheim YMCA board, said during Thursday’s ceremony.
The total cost of the project will be around $25 million, Finlay said.
The $850,000 federal from Correa’s office is part of $15 million in community funding secured this year for projects throughout the 46th congressional district.
Other projects in the county that received funding include the rehabilitation of Fullerton’s police station, a pedestrian-bicycle bridge over the Santa Ana River in Anaheim and late-night bus service support for the Anaheim Transportation Network.
Related Articles
Wild Rivers hosts 200 swimmers as part of World’s Largest Swimming Lesson
Construction of Garden Grove’s new $152 million Civic Center underway
Dana Point City Council approves new apartment project in Doheny Village over objections
Following state audit, Anaheim will create public board to monitor tourism dollars
In a celebration of freedom, Buena Park holds inaugural Juneteenth event
Leave a Reply