WINTER SPRINGS, Fla. – The pickleball craze has found a brand new home in Winter Springs.
Starting Saturday, April 13, fans of the popular paddle sport can begin playing at the state-of-the-art pickleball complex at Central Winds Park.
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The complex at 1000 Central Winds Drive will be the largest in Seminole County, with 14 tournament-capable courts.
“On Thursday, January 4, 2024, crews poured asphalt for the playing surface,” Matthew Reeser, public information officer for the city of Winter Springs, said in a statement. “Curing usually takes about 60 days and it will be that long before painting, netting, benches, and fencing can be installed.”
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This photo from February shows work being done on the expanded parking lot where crews are installed drainage and poles for lighting, and prepared the surrounding area for landscaping. A dedicated bathroom facility will be located between the courts and the parking lot.
Crews broke ground on the complex in November 2022 with an initial budget of $2.2 million. That grew to $3.1 million with the commission’s approval of extra funds for court size increases and upgraded lighting.
The construction of the complex comes at a time that pickleball is seeing exponential growth. According to USA Pickleball, the governing body for the sport, pickleball grew to 8.9 million players in 2023.
According to the annual pickleball report by teachme.to, Florida has 2,854 Pickleball courts statewide. For a look at the top places to play in Central Florida, click here.
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