Evanston Opens 15 New Pickleball Courts After Years of Community Push

James Park now holds 15 dedicated pickleball courts where six tennis courts once stood, a conversion that gives Evanston its first true pickleball facility and a clear answer to rising court demand.

The project reached a public milestone with a ribbon cutting and open play celebration on April 18 at the park along Oakton Street near Dodge Avenue. By then, the city had finished the work in October 2025 after construction started in late July, turning a long-running local push into a visible change in how the park is used.

That change did not happen quickly. Evanston’s Parks and Recreation Board voted in October 2024 to recommend converting the James Park tennis courts for pickleball, and earlier discussions had even floated a 17-court layout before the final design settled on 15. Roughly 30 community supporters helped keep the proposal moving, reflecting how much pressure had built for more dedicated pickleball space.

For players, the numbers matter. Taking six tennis courts and replacing them with 15 pickleball courts changes the capacity equation at a public park in a city where open court time is at a premium. The larger layout also makes James Park more than a neighborhood amenity. It becomes a destination stop for players looking for dedicated courts instead of shared or temporary lines.

The city paired the James Park buildout with other court renovations at Leahy, Ackerman, and Mason Parks, showing that this was part of a broader facilities upgrade rather than a one-off project. That larger effort fits the parks department’s stated mission to enhance quality of life through collaborative opportunities for the community to grow, learn, create, and play.

The social side is already visible on the courts. Sandrine Gaupp-Scrim said pickleball is “an easy and fun way to stay active and connect with neighbors, friends, and even people met on court.” That mix of exercise and easy conversation has helped make James Park a regular weekend gathering spot for local players, with different ages and skill levels sharing the same space.

For Evanston, the conversion signals more than a new place to play. It shows where public recreation is headed: fewer all-purpose setups, more dedicated pickleball courts, and a stronger draw for anyone mapping out a playable stop in the city.