Kiroli Park to get tennis courts improvements, new pickleball court

WEST MONROE, La. (KTVE / KARD)–Kiroli Park in West Monroe is getting some major improvements to some of the recreational areas that are popular among park goers. NBC News 10’s Joel Massey has more on the projects that were a long time in coming.

The tennis courts at Kiroli park are getting a facelift. They will be turned 90 degrees so that the sun will be at a better angle for players. But hold on tennis players, the pickle ballers are coming.

Dentist Matt Turpin has been playing pickleball for 8 years. He learned at a camp in Texas and says in the last year and a half the sport has exploded in the West Monroe area. He compares it with tennis.

It’s easier, less court to cover and you can pair off with a younger person, old person and be fine.

Matt Turpin, pickleball player

Turpin liked the sport so much and wanted to play at Kiroli park—that he painted some lines on a tennis court. Now he’s glad that the Land and Water Conservation Fund grant from the National Parks Service will be used in part to create an exclusive pickleball court.

Coutney Hornsby with the City of West Monroe says that the project will cost about $120,000, half of which will be covered by the federal grant, the other half put up by the city. Workers started the project Monday, July 1.

We’ve been working on this grant for a long time and we’re very excited to see that work is finally beginning on it.

Courtney Hornsby, City of West Monroe Chief of Staff

The city is looking to serve up some fun… and hoping that pickleball and tennis will catch on even more.

Hornsby estimates the new courts will be ready for action by the Fall, just about the time work begins on another federal grant-funded project to resurface all the walking trails in the park.

There is an old pool from when the park was a boy scout camp that is now termed the Sunken Garden. Right now, that area is closed, and a different federal grant will be providing $20,000 for that project which will feature various flowers and plants.