New Pickleball Courts Set To Open Soon In Wakefield

WAKEFIELD, MA — Wakefield may have a new set of pickleball courts open and accessible to the public as soon as next week as work wraps up on a project on the shores of Lake Quannapowitt.

Town Administrator Stephen Maio offered an update during a Town Council meeting on Monday, announcing that new fencing and gates would be in place around the courts by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Crews are scheduled to paint lines on the courts on Thursday, weather permitting. The facility will likely be “play ready” by next week, Maio said.

The pickleball project previously came before the Wakefield Conservation Commission in February of 2021, as noted in meeting minutes. Plans involved reconstructing and expanding a set of existing tennis courts to create new pickleball space.

While the courts will be striped for tennis, the focus will be on pickleball, Maio wrote in a subsequent community newsletter published last month. He noted existing tennis facilities at Wakefield High School as alternate options for those interested in playing tennis.

The project initially received funding from Town Meeting. State grant money then supplemented project costs, Maio wrote.

Initially slated for completion last fall, environmental concerns delayed portions of the courts’ planning and approval process as Wakefield officials navigated a slate of concerns, including discussions about runoff into Lake Quannapowitt.

Ultimately, the project rolled out broader drainage and accessibility measures around the pickleball courts themselves, Maio wrote .

“The end result is a testament to a great collaboration between our Engineering Department and the Historical Commission,” Maio continued.

Pickleball is a rapidly growing sport that integrates key elements of badminton and tennis. It involves players using a paddle to hit a ball similar to a wiffle ball back and forth over a net.

Officials are in the process of planning a possible ribbon cutting event to formally mark the opening of the courts. Details had not been finalized as of Monday night.