The rhythmic pop of pickleballs echoed across the field as spectators gathered under the shade to celebrate the start of an anticipated community project.
The city of Gainesville held a groundbreaking event on Friday to commemorate the start of renovations to Tom Petty Park.
The site, located on 501 NE 16th Ave., is undergoing improvements across its total 22.5 acres to meet the needs of the community. The core component of the renovations is the removal of the four racquetball courts to make space for eight new designated pickleball courts.
Harvey Ward, Gainesville mayor, said the project was long overdue and is the result of communication between city officials and the area residents.
“People kind of stopped using those racquetball courts for things that were not racquetball,” he said. “We listened at City Hall. We have responded to the pickleball community.”
The $1.97 million project is funded by the Gainesville Wild Spaces & Public Places half-cent sales tax. The voter-approved tax is used to acquire, maintain and enhance natural lands, and operate and improve parks and other recreational facilities.
Additional renovations to the park will include a reroute of the multipurpose trail to improve ADA accessibility, a new pedestrian entrance and lighting improvements in the parking lot. The project will also add new seating areas and shade structures, advancements to the on-site water management system, a new kiosk and will upgrade the public restrooms.
Rachel Mandell, project manager for Wild Spaces & Public Places, said the goal of the project is to provide a better experience for the community.
“At its core, this project is focused on responding to the community’s needs by expanding recreational opportunities and creating a more inclusive and enjoyable space,” she said.
Construction is expected to be completed sometime in early 2026, depriving the community of the park’s racquetball courts for a significant period, something that Mary Rossow, Alachua County pickleball ambassador, said “isn’t really a problem.”
“There’s a few other places, not in this area but indoors, like at the MLK Multipurpose Center,” she said. “That’s always nice in the summer and people can still play.”
Rossow, 66, said the foot traffic generated by the renovations will not just be great for the park but for the entire community.
“We’ve been waiting for this, and we’re very excited to have it happening,” she said. “I think it’s great to bring people to this side of town, and I think the businesses around here will benefit from it.”
The city has contracted with Scorpio Construction, a Gainesville-based construction company, to complete the project. The company has worked on numerous projects in the Gainesville area, including the New Drummond Community Bank Building and renovations at Gainesville Regional Airport.
The city enlisted Scorpio for the job because of the company’s commitment to community efforts, Mandell said.
“They understand construction,” she said. “And they also understand the importance of working with small, local and diverse subcontractors. ”
Cole Childers, an avid pickleball player, said the new dedicated pickleball courts will help respond to the number of people who want to play the sport in Gainesville.
“I started playing pickleball about eight years ago, and the sport has grown. People always want to play,” he said. “We still only have four dedicated courts, so we’re way behind, but this will help.”
Childers, 70, said Alachua County lags behind the rest of the state in recreational development, but the improvements will help close the gap.
“People say Alachua County is a recreational county, but it’s not,” Childers said. “They got a long way to go to get caught up to neighboring counties, but certainly this is a step in the right direction.”