Is that an outdoor pickleball court coming to downtown Raleigh?
Fans of the country’s fastest-growing sport will have a new place to play in downtown Raleigh. But it’s only for a limited time.
A pop-up pickleball court is coming to City Plaza, located on Fayetteville Street between the Truist building and Shish Kabob restaurant. The court will be open Oct. 18 through Nov. 30, and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This is exciting,” Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. “There’s a huge demand, and this will help activate downtown in a positive way.”
City Plaza has a flat, hard surface that is the perfect size for a pickleball court, said Will Gaskins, vice president of economic development and planning with the Downtown Raleigh Alliance.
“Ultimately, we are excited to support trying something new, different and hopefully exciting in the plaza that folks will come check out and rethink what is possible with our urban spaces like these,” he said.
A draw for downtown
For the last two years, the city and the DRA have brought micro-soccer fields to City Plaza to attract people to downtown.
“Our intent globally across downtown is to create a fun and inviting place for downtown residents, employees and visitors alike to enjoy,” Gaskins said.
Jackie Braun lives a few blocks away from pop-up court. She plays about three times a week, usually by biking along the greenway to Method Community Center.
“I thought it was going to be for old people, just hitting a ball,” she said. “But you really get a good workout. And with Method, there’s a real sense of community there. ... You’re always gonna see somebody that you recognize.”
A downtown court is fantastic news, she said.
“I’ll walk there,” she said. “I just want to know more about it.”
Pickleball instructor Jackie Johnson often plays at Tarboro Community Center and helped bring a pop-up court to downtown during the African American Cultural Festival last year.
She played racquetball in college, she said, as pickleballs popped against against paddles behind her. She read about pickleball and wanted to give it a try.
“I think it was over at Chavis Community Center where I actually started,” she said, “When I walked in, everybody turned around and looked, and I thought ‘Oh my gosh, I’m going to be the only African American.’ That’s exactly what I felt.”
She enjoyed the first game so much she hasn’t stopped, partly to manage some health issues. She had a stroke two years and and used her paddles in her physical therapy.
“Afterwards, I thought, this would help a lot of people in the community,” Johnson said. “Especially in African-American communities where a lot of us don’t move around as much as we should, especially seniors. It was a sport I wanted to introduce to everybody.”
Raleigh Pickleball
While visiting his parents in Florida, Clifford Chu was distracted by a “plinking” sound. His parents live in The Villages, the largest retirement community in the world.
“They have a few hundred pickleball courts,” he said. “I was humbled after challenging an elderly couple and getting my butt whooped.”
That was 10 years ago. Now he’s a certified instructor, often drives from Apex to Raleigh to play and has created a Facebook group called Raleigh Pickleball Club. Other cities should follow Raleigh’s idea and add pop-up courts, he said.
The city of Raleigh has six permanent outdoor pickleball courts at Method Community Park and six at North Hills Park.
There are indoor courts at these community centers: Brier Creek, Green Road, John Chavis Memorial Park, Lake Lynn, Lions Park, Method Road, Optimist, Tarboro Road and Worthdale.
But there’s often a wait to play, depending on when people want to play, and demand can exceed available courts.
That’s partly why the city entered a partnership with Swing Racquet + Paddle, set to open in Brier Creek in 2024.
The complex will include 29 tennis courts, 24 pickleball courts, 16 padel courts, a ping-pong lounge and four beach tennis and volleyball courts. The 48-acre lot is owned by the city, and the group has a 50-year lease for the land.
This story was originally published October 13, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
