The City Council voted Monday to approve a change order that will fund lighting at the voter-approved pickleball courts, which could get under construction soon.
The order adds $170,864 to the $351,863 contract the City has with Multisports LLC to construct six pickleball courts in Sooner Park. Funding for the project was approved by voters in 2020 General Obligation Bond Election.
Additional items, called bid alternates, connected to the project include two additional courts, lighting and two 20-feet by 25-feet shade structures on the east end of the courts for spectators or people waiting to play. Alternate bid items are often included in project bids so that additional work can be considered in the bid if there is enough funding available after the base bid requirements are met.
In the case of the lighting, however, the money will be reimbursed through private donations.
“The local group of pickleball advocates that we’ve been working with on this project is hoping to raise enough in private donations to fund the lighting for the courts as well as the two additional courts included as bid alternates to this contract,” said Director of Engineering Micah Siemers.
Siemers said the City currently has about $400,000 in unallocated sales tax funds, a portion of which could be used to fund the lighting portion of the project if needed.
“If they were, for some reason, unable to raise the donation money to reimburse the City for the lighting, the funds are available through unallocated sales tax funds,” he said.
The base bid for the project includes six courts with associated paving, fence, benches and shade structures over the benches. The courts will be located north of the tennis courts in Sooner Park, 420 S.E. Madison Blvd.
Construction is expected to take about three months to complete, Siemers said.
“The purpose of securing this funding for the lighting now is so we can go ahead and get the contractor started on construction of this project,” he said. “We are hoping the courts will be ready to play on sometime this summer.”