MultiSports LLC of Park City, Kan., has been tapped to build at least six pickleball courts in Sooner Park, a project that was approved by voters in the 2020 General Obligation Bond Election.
A construction contract was awarded to the company by the City Council on Monday. The contract includes a base bid of $351,863 for:
- 6 pickleball courts
- Perimeter fence
- Fencing to separate each court
- Fenced-off aisle running down the middle of the courts
- Covered benches
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.
However, costs for the alternate items came in over the $450,000 budgeted for the project, $29,500 of which was used to complete the design for the project, leaving $420,500 for construction. MulitSports LLC was the low bidder on the project, at $351,863 for the base bid. This leaves $68,637 available in the budget, which will be used to add bid alternate items in the future if additional funding is secured by the local pickleball club.
“There is interest from the local pickleball club in raising private funds and coordinating with local foundations and businesses to raise even more funding to be able to include lights, and potentially securing enough funding to also include the additional courts — for a total of eight lighted courts,” said Director of Engineering Micah Siemers. “Because the lighting and two additional courts have been bid as alternates, those items of work can be awarded to the contract at a later date, if sufficient funding is secured.”
Siemers said that with the available funding of $420,500, the private funds would need to total $102,227 for six lighted courts, and $205,540 for eight lighted courts.
The bid was awarded to MultiSports LLC with the understanding that two additional courts and sports lighting, which are considered priority items by the local pickleball club, may be added to the bid if sufficient funding is raised.
The courts will be located north of the tennis courts in Sooner Park. (The existing tennis courts will remain.) Construction could start as early as December but is more likely in the first quarter of 2024.