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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- Pickleball enthusiasts will have a new venue, thanks to the generosity of Gulfport Energy and its decision to partner with the city of St. Clairsville to sponsor a new basketball and pickleball court in Central Park.
Recreation Director Eric Gay made the announcement Monday, along with Jaime Scott, engineering technician with Gulfport, and Gulfport senior land technician Jessica Cook.
Gulfport presented the city with a check for $40,000.
"That'll get all the concrete work done, the court, the hoops," Gay said.
"It'll be located behind the amphitheater area in our park. The city and the recreation department can't thank them enough for their generosity and just helping us accomplish all of our goals in that park."
Cook said the project was perfect for community outreach.
"We're providing a $40,000 donation to complete this court. We were super-excited when presented with this opportunity, knowing the impact that it would have on the community and the people within the community. Just giving them an opportunity to be more physically active outside, bring people together, so we just were thrilled to give back to a community that we're a bit part of," she said.
Gay said the donation should cover the project cost.
"That will cover the cost of completing this project. We have wanted to do this for a while and invest in the park down there, so once again we are just so thrilled for Gulfport to step up and do this. It's really a dream for us," he said.
Gay said no start date for the work has been set.
"With the time of year, the season, realistically completion date is early spring of 2024," he said.
"We're looking at something the size of the rec center -- 50-foot by 80-foot -- that'll sit back there."
Gay said he expects the new court to see considerable use. He said St. Clairsville High School is close by.
"One of the benefits we have is the proximity of the school and I know how many kids are hanging out in this area, whether it's at the football field or the rec department. They're always looking for something to do, and once again providing them with that opportunity to have things. I think pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the world right now. During the winter months they play four and five days a week inside our building, and I just know there's a heavy demand for more pickleball courts as well."
Cook said she and Scott also look forward to the project's completion.
"We both have children in the area and we are beyond excited to have this opportunity for them to have a place to come after school to shoot some hoops, to hang out with their friends, to just be a part of the community through all of that. We definitely feel there's a demand and we're glad to report that," she said.
Gay added Gulfport has had a long-standing relationship with the city. The company also assisted with new lighting at the amphitheater.
"I reached out to Jessica and told them we had a project that we would like to do and wanted to see if they were interested. They jumped on it right away. I can't say enough how thankful I am for Gulfport and all the businesses that have helped us," Gay said. "We try to do as much as we can to get these things done without dipping into other sources. We just can't thank them enough for doing this for us."