A city park will get a $2.2 million makeover as Windsor moves up spending at sports and recreation facilities.
Construction will get underway in September to install new pickleball courts and upgrade some of the existing tennis courts with premium surface at the popular Ward 7 Park located on Forest Glade Drive, east of Lauzon Road. This parks improvement project is valued at $800,000.
“Council is committed to prioritizing investments that continuously raise the quality of life for Windsor families and individuals,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “The new and improved facilities at Forest Glade Optimist Park will provide safe, fun and accessible amenities to meet the diverse sports and recreation needs of our community for years to come.”
Improvements are part of an extensive renewal work at Forest Glade Optimist Park over the last few years, which has included the following:
- 2018 – $250,000 addition of two basketball courts and a multi-purpose sports court featuring specialized tile surface that not only offers better grip but also improves drainage following rain events thanks to its porous texture.
- 2020 – $750,000 invested to build a new splash pad and accessible washrooms that are expected to open to the public in summer 2021, pending public health measures related to the pandemic.
Recent upgrades include the complete rebuilding of the parking lot with a new accessible parking area. The multiuse sports courts behind the library were redeveloped last season, and a splash pad was just completed and will be opening this summer.
A new washroom building will go in this summer to complete the splash pad and be a welcome addition to the area, which includes a skate park and two playgrounds. Future plans include drainage improvements throughout the park and improved lighting along the pathways to be completed this summer.
Also in 2021, new lighting will be installed throughout the area, new catch basins to reduce flooding and a final layer of new asphalt to the parking lot valued at about $450,000.
“I am very excited for the much-needed upgrades and additions to take place at our Forest Glade Optimist Park,” said Ward 7 councillor Jeewen Gill.
“The new premium tennis courts, pickleball courts, splash pad and restrooms will enable Ward 7 residents to have access to the best facilities.”
An online survey is open for ideas and feedback about the preferred custom features at the new Forest Glade Optimist Park pickleball courts accessible to all. Responses will be used to inform the final design of this new amenity, which will be the first dedicated pickleball courts in the city. The survey will be open at the link above or at CityWindsor.ca until June 25, 2021.
Windsor currently offers five indoor pickleball courts. While it does not have any dedicated outdoor pickleball courts, 16 of the 35 existing outdoor tennis courts have pickleball lines.
This investment is part of a $1.6-billion, 10-year capital plan, which includes $170-million in local public infrastructure in 2021 alone. The recent municipal budget allocated a record $17.5 million towards parks and recreation infrastructure improvements.
For more information, contact 311 or visit Forest Glade Optimist Park Pickleball and Tennis Court Improvements page.