{"id":114,"date":"2026-05-11T04:05:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T04:05:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114"},"modified":"2026-05-11T04:05:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T04:05:38","slug":"boulder-breaking-ground-on-major-new-pickleball-complex-as-tennis-players-seek-more-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114","title":{"rendered":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Boulder is preparing to break ground on a major new pickleball complex near Boulder Reservoir this spring, part of a broader effort to expand access to racquet sports as demand continues to outpace the city\u2019s aging and shrinking court system.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more \u2708\ufe0f Boulder airport decision still rattling council<\/a><\/p>\n

The project at Tom Watson Park will add 12 lighted pickleball courts, along with three court shelters and adjacent walking paths, according to a staff memo for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in April.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Construction is expected to begin in late May or June, with the courts opening in November if permitting and planning reviews stay on schedule. The city estimates the cost to be between $1.5 and $1.8 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The project will transform \u201cunderutilized park space into the community\u2019s first dedicated public pickleball courts, creating new opportunities for recreation, social connection and active lifestyles for community members of all ages,\u201d Kate Hernandez, city communications manager, told Boulder Reporting Lab.<\/p>\n

The investment comes as pickleball\u2019s growth continues reshaping Boulder\u2019s recreational landscape, sometimes uneasily alongside the city\u2019s longtime tennis community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At East Boulder Community Park, the city plans to convert three of five existing tennis courts into six pickleball courts in the coming years. To offset the loss, Boulder also plans to build eight new tennis courts on newly annexed land southwest of the East Boulder Rec Center, though construction is not expected to begin until fall 2027, with completion projected in 2028.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s long-term court plan reflects a balancing act between two sports competing for limited space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to the 2024 Boulder Parks and Recreation court system analysis, the city has 20 dedicated tennis courts, but none for pickleball. Instead, pickleball players must use of multi-sport courts at Foothills Roller Sport Rink in North Boulder or at community recreation centers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The analysis found that the city needs 22 dedicated pickleball courts and 22 dedicated tennis courts to meet current demand. The report recommended investing roughly $400,000 annually through 2030 to reduce maintenance backlogs and expand capacity. According to Hernandez, the city has spent $850,000 over the previous three years to replace five tennis court systems. The city says it expects millions more in spending over the next two years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more \ud83c\udf36\ufe0f A summer of Colorado food festivals worth the trip<\/a><\/p>\n

But while pickleball infrastructure is moving ahead quickly \u2014 including a private dedicated facility \u2014 tennis players in Boulder have seen access steadily decline over the past decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some courts have been repurposed with pickleball lines, while others have disappeared entirely. Among the largest recent losses was the closure of the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center courts at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel, long the city\u2019s main hub for covered tennis. The property is being redeveloped into student housing tied to CU. Twelve more courts were planned for the CU South Campus, but the fate of the entire development remains unclear.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a proposed private tennis club in Gunbarrel stalled after drawing significant opposition from nearby residents concerned about traffic, lighting and neighborhood impacts.<\/p>\n

The city\u2019s plans around East Boulder reflect those tensions.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, Boulder approved the annexation of a 24-acre parcel originally acquired in 2019 for flood mitigation and open space purposes. Community discussions around the site have included calls both for expanded racquet sports facilities and for honoring Indigenous heritage through a botanical garden and open space elements.\u00a0<\/p>\n

City officials expect to select a\u00a0consultant for the East Boulder project by mid-May, with design work beginning this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Additional improvements are planned for Tom Watson Park beyond the pickleball courts themselves. Future phases could include a new playground, replacement restrooms, expanded parking and a designated food truck area.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in Boulder\u2019s court system, the multiuse courts at Harlow Platts Park near the South Boulder Recreation Center remain in deteriorating condition. Rather than fully rebuilding them now, the city plans temporary resurfacing and repairs in 2026 while officials evaluate larger investments at the recreation center.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Boulder Parks and Recreation is facing tight budget constraints despite overseeing a large citywide system. While the department has been slowly cutting services to save costs over the years, the impacts are poised to become more tangible in 2027.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Read more \ud83c\udf28\ufe0f Wet snow downs tree limbs across Boulder, hard freeze tonight<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Construction to begin on a 12-court pickleball complex near Boulder Reservoir while longer-term tennis court projects move more slowly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-114","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-outdoors"],"yoast_head":"\nBoulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Construction to begin on a 12-court pickleball complex near Boulder Reservoir while longer-term tennis court projects move more slowly.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Boulder Moving Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2475\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1392\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924\"},\"headline\":\"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114\"},\"wordCount\":714,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Outdoors\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114\",\"name\":\"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp\",\"width\":2475,\"height\":1392},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?p=114#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Boulder Moving Guide\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/bouldermovingguide.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide","og_description":"Construction to begin on a 12-court pickleball complex near Boulder Reservoir while longer-term tennis court projects move more slowly.","og_url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114","og_site_name":"Boulder Moving Guide","article_published_time":"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2475,"height":1392,"url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924"},"headline":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts","datePublished":"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114"},"wordCount":714,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp","articleSection":["Outdoors"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114","url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114","name":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts - Boulder Moving Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-11T04:05:38+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/827c192f0304e7f89628889105fd55f8.webp","width":2475,"height":1392},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?p=114#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Boulder breaking ground on major new pickleball complex as tennis players seek more courts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/","name":"Boulder Moving Guide","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/#\/schema\/person\/371409378d3864f31fc6a1fc95da3924","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com"],"url":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bouldermovingguide.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}