Parks and Recreation, Celina style

CELINA - A recently completed full-length basketball court is seeing heavy action and the long awaited pickleball courts are slated to open to the public next week.

The new amenities are part of a concerted push by city officials to enhance Celina's parks and offer addition recreational opportunities to the community.

"There's been quite a few people out there playing," said city safety service director Tom Hitchcock of the new basketball court located just off Elm Grove Street in the Bryson Park District.

The courts are open despite nearby green fences that have been set up to keep geese away.

Degen Excavating of Lima began work on the court on April 11, laying down the stone base and installing sidewalk on the back side of the court, according to Hitchcock. After grading and basketball poles were installed, Taylor Painting painted the court this month.

The court was paid for in part with a $500,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation program.

Four pickleball courts behind Montgomery Field near the restrooms were painted on Thursday and nets likely will be up in the coming days, Hitchcock told the newspaper.

The pickleball court project is estimated at $60,000 and will be paid for in part with a $30,000 donation from the Jerry Andrew Fund in care of the Mercer County Civic Foundation. The city will cover the rest of the expense.

Pickleball, which combines elements of tennis, pingpong and badminton, has surged in popularity due in large part to its basic, relaxing-yet-challenging nature.

"I don't think there's too many of us sitting here that haven't been schooled on the importance of pickleball," said councilman Mark Fleck at a recent city council meeting.

City employees completed some preliminary work before the courts were paved. The Shelly Company, which will paved the pickleball courts, was awarded a $2.8 million contract to resurface nearly 11 residential streets this construction season, according to mayor Jeff Hazel.

The site behind Montgomery Field was suggested by area pickleball enthusiasts, Hazel said.

"This is where the pickleball players - we've spoken with a number of them - and this is where they would like to go because it's near parking. It's near restrooms. There's a little bit of a windbreak out there and they didn't particularly care to be somewhere where there would be a lot of other activities happening at that time so they're very pleased where this is going," Hazel had said.

Also, a new shelter house/restroom facility is set to be built this summer in the Bryson Park District.

Muhlenkamp Building Corp. of Coldwater was awarded a $373,324 contract to construct The Lion's Club Building that includes a shelter house, maintenance room and restrooms.

"If you are all familiar where the Lion's Club shelter house currently is on Ash Street where they do their chicken dinners at, that is the one that's going to be replaced there" Hazel said.

The structure will replace the current nearby restrooms. The project deadline is Sept. 30, Hazel said. However, Hitchcock said the contractor plans to begin work as soon as it receives materials.

The Celina Lions Club has raised nearly $65,000 toward the creation of the building. But a bulk of the expense will be paid with a portion of the $500,000 ODNR grant.