St. Clairsville opens four new pickleball courts to meet demand

St. Clairsville’s four new pickleball courts opened to immediate demand Tuesday night, June 3, turning a long-planned project into an instant community draw. Players were already using the space unofficially the night before the formal opening, and by opening night the courts were booked fast.

The project took about a year to bring from planning to play and was sponsored by Unified Bank. City Parks and Recreation Director Eric Gay said the courts were built because pickleball has grown quickly and local players wanted more places to play. He said the goal went beyond adding courts, pointing to community building and keeping residents active.

That response showed up right away. Families and school-age players were among those seen using the new courts, a sign that pickleball in St. Clairsville has moved well beyond a niche adult pastime. The turnout also suggests the city is tapping into a player base that is ready for more organized play, more space and, eventually, more amenities around the courts.

Gay said the courts were still not finished and that upgrades were still ahead, including lights and seating for people waiting to play. That phased approach mirrors what many growing pickleball communities are doing: open the courts first, then add the comfort features once demand is obvious. In St. Clairsville, that demand was visible before the opening ceremony was over.

The new four-court complex also fits into a broader local buildout that started earlier. In November 2023, Gulfport Energy donated $40,000 for a basketball-and-pickleball court in Central Park, a project Gay said would support physical activity and bring people together. By September 2024, that Central Park court had opened, and the city was already planning a second phase with a fence and lights.

St. Clairsville Parks & Recreation’s June 2026 calendar shows regular open-play pickleball sessions, reinforcing that the city already had organized demand before the newest courts opened. For a town building its recreation identity around active use, Tuesday night offered the clearest proof yet: the courts were full almost as soon as they were ready.