Moab expands family recreation, commissioners back pickleball, playground projects

Moab’s next family recreation stop is taking shape at Old Spanish Trail Arena, where Grand County commissioners unanimously approved the concrete work for a new pickleball-and-playground project that could open to the public by mid-June. The arena, at 3641 South Highway 191, is set to gain a cluster of courts and an accessible play area that gives visitors and local families another place to spend a recovery day, an off-trail evening or a kid-friendly break from the red rock.

The county picked a $76,610 concrete bid for the project, lower than a local proposal that came in at about $83,800, though officials still described the work as over budget. The approved package covers the concrete pads, walkways, an accessible ramp and related site infrastructure. Angie Book, the arena director, said the goal was to have the project ready by mid-June.

The buildout has been moving for months. The concrete-only bid package closed April 7, after contractors had a pre-bid inspection at OSTA on April 1. The original plan called for at least six post-tension pickleball courts, with a goal of eight, along with an ADA-accessible playground on undeveloped land at the arena. In February, the Grand County Recreation Special Service District board said concrete had already been poured and noted the court colors would be brick red and khaki, a sign the venue was already well under way by the time commissioners signed off on the concrete contract.

The project has also been part of a broader public investment in Moab recreation. In June 2025, the Moab City Council voted 4-0 to contribute up to $110,000 toward the pickleball courts in partnership with Grand County. That kind of backing helps explain why a sports facility at OSTA is being treated as more than a local amenity. The board has also discussed the arena serving as an emergency facility during fire season, underscoring how the site is becoming a more flexible community asset.

Commissioners also backed a land-use code amendment that opens the Light Industrial zone to non-ATV outfitters, guide services and related rental businesses as permitted uses. The change was requested by the owner of E-bike Moab and followed a March 23 recommendation from the Grand County Planning Commission and an April 7 commission action. Taken together, the new recreation build and the zoning change point to the same shift in Moab: more room for visitors to play, recover and book local services without leaving the county’s recreation corridor.