A recreational project in Jefferson is going to begin soon.

The Jefferson Pickleball Committee was awarded the highest amount from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation’s competitive grant recipients of $118,000 to go toward building two pickleball courts in Russell Park. Jefferson Parks and Recreation Director Denny Hammen says the committee had previously raised close to $130,000 with some financial commitment from the City of Jefferson and majority from private donations.

The project will be to build two post-tension concrete pickleball courts that would be located north of the current tennis courts. Hammen says the committee wanted to use post-tension concrete because it is the same material as the tennis courts and will last much longer than standard concrete. He talks about the engineering firm that has done the surveying work and made the initial estimate cost to build the courts.

“We’re working with the city architects, which is Bolton and Menk, they are the ones that gave us the estimate which they put in around $220,000 for the total package of two pickleball courts. It shouldn’t take too long to get the process into place. It would just be a matter then of hiring the contractors that would do the construction.”    

Hammen anticipates the project to be completed later this year.