Orange to open 10 lighted pickleball courts, fitness circuit at Hart Park

Orange is adding something local pickleball players always ask for and rarely get enough of: 10 lighted courts that will keep Hart Park playable well into the evening. The city said the new courts will open with a ribbon-cutting at 5 p.m. on May 6, and guests will be invited to stay for the first games.

This is not just a court build. The Hart Park Pickleball and Fitness Circuit project also includes a fitness circuit, shade, seating and outdoor fitness equipment, which makes the site look more like a full recreation stop than a simple conversion. For amateurs, that matters. Lighted courts stretch the usable day, and the added amenities make the park friendlier for mixed groups, beginners, and anyone who wants to combine a workout with a few games.

Orange said the project was about 75% complete in its latest update, with underground work finished and the courts, fencing, lighting and walkways already installed and nearing completion. The city said the final storm-drain connection was due within two weeks and that landscaping and other amenities would follow, with completion anticipated for late April.

Funding came mostly from a $2 million Community Development Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, secured through Lou Correa’s office. Correa’s office described Hart Park as a high-density community with limited recreational opportunities, which is exactly the kind of setting where public, free-to-use courts can make a real difference. Orange has 22 parks in its system, but Hart Park is the one getting folded into a bigger push for evening play and everyday access.

The city said the courts will be open during park hours, from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and will be free to use because most of the project was paid for with federal funds. Play will be first come, first served, with drop-in play limited when others are waiting. Private or paid lessons will not be allowed.

The project has been in the pipeline since at least December 21, 2023, when the California environmental filing was posted. That filing listed not just the courts and fitness circuit, but an ADA-compliant sidewalk ramp, concrete and paver paths, a shade structure, bike rack, bottle-filling fountain, benches, trash receptacles, extra lighting and landscaping, plus a new gate in the orchard fence. That scope tells the real story here: Orange is not just adding courts, it is building a public pickup and fitness hub designed to absorb more players without forcing them into a private club model.