Richmond Heights pickleball court overhaul nears completion, opening next month

Richmond Heights players may be back on the Highland Road courts next month, weeks ahead of the city’s earlier mid-June estimate. Parks and Recreation Director Cameron Campbell told the Richmond Heights City Council on April 19 that the overhaul at 27285 Highland Road was far enough along to reopen the area sooner than expected.

That matters because public-court projects have a habit of stretching past their first timelines, especially when aging tennis facilities need a full conversion instead of a simple refresh. In this case, the city has been rebuilding the site into a more flexible racquet-sports complex, with two tennis courts and six pickleball courts replacing a surface that had continued to deteriorate.

The work is tied to Resolution No. 25-2026, which Mayor Kim A. Thomas introduced to authorize a purchase agreement with Site Technology, Inc. through the city’s Ohio Buys cooperative purchasing program. The contract totals $164,078 and is based on a proposal dated January 28, 2026. The scope includes hot tar crack fill, geotextile fabric, net post installation, color coat and striping, all aimed at turning the Highland Road site into a usable shared court space again.

For the local pickleball community, the earlier opening is more than a construction update. It means less downtime, less pressure on other nearby courts and a better shot at getting organized play and casual drop-in games back on the calendar before the summer recreation rush. For the parks department, it also gives Richmond Heights a visible example of a project moving faster than the usual public-works pace, rather than slipping deeper into the season.

The renovation fits into a much larger national picture. USA Pickleball’s 2025 growth report said the Pickleheads database reached 18,258 places to play nationwide and 82,613 total known courts, while USA Pickleball reported 104,828 members across the country. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association said 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025. Against that backdrop, Richmond Heights is treating the sport as part of its neighborhood recreation mix, not a novelty, and Highland Road is on track to become one more place where that growth shows up in daily life.