Middleton opens first dedicated pickleball courts at Place Park

Middleton’s first dedicated pickleball courts opened at Place Park, giving the city three purpose-built outdoor courts and a closer home for players who had been driving to Caldwell or Star for court time. The new installation sits inside Middleton Place Park at 75 Marjorie Avenue, already one of the city’s busiest recreation sites with restrooms, a playground, a walking path, tennis courts, shelters, a baseball field, sand volleyball and a tumbling-sledding hill.

The opening marks a meaningful step for a sport that has been expanding fast enough to force local players into neighboring towns. For regulars such as Tempe McFarlane, Victoria Rodriguez, Tim O’Meara, Jackie Hutchison and Becky Crofts, the value was not just the extra pavement but the chance to keep casual games, family play and spontaneous drop-in matches inside Middleton itself. One resident described the new location as only minutes from home, a difference that can turn a planned outing into a quick after-work game.

The project moved from approval to play on a fairly quick municipal timeline. Middleton council unanimously approved a contract with Hall and Hill Construction LLC not to exceed $318,109 for the courts and related pathway improvements, with the cost covered through current budgets and impact fee funds. City Public Works materials show the project went through a formal bidding and award process before construction began.

Hall and Hill completed the work in about 90 days, including nearly a month of curing time before the surface was ready for use. That pace gives the project more substance than a simple ribbon-cutting moment: the city delivered a permanent amenity, not a temporary court setup, and did so inside a park that already serves a wide slice of neighborhood recreation.

The three-court opening also points to a larger question about where Middleton stands in the region’s pickleball growth. The city had other playing options, but some were tied to school or recreation facilities rather than a dedicated public park installation. At the same time, city materials show officials have discussed adding even more pickleball at Lakeview Park, including a plan with six courts as part of a tennis-and-pickleball replacement. That suggests Middleton is not just catching up to neighboring communities. It is taking the first step toward a more substantial pickleball footprint of its own.