Wilson will soon be home to the largest pickleball complex in eastern North Carolina. Both the Wilson City Council and the Wilson Tourism Authority gave approval to begin construction on a $4.2 million pickleball and tennis facility at Gillette Athletic Complex.

The facility will include six uncovered pickleball courts, eight covered courts including two championship courts for tournament play, six tennis courts, and 6 multi-use courts that can be used for tennis or pickleball. Also included in the facility is a croquet lawn, and shuffleboard and bocce ball courts, which will be moved from the current location near the All-Children’s Playground. These amenities are needed to attract Senior Games play.

The facility was designed after Wilson Parks and Recreation Department leadership visited several of the most popular pickleball facilities in the country. Two of the largest pickleball facilities are in Florida, with Naples, Florida serving as the home of the US Open Pickleball Championship, a tournament that attracts more than 25,000 people to that area.

“We surveyed the best of the best, then came home and built a facility that is at the level of the other facilities, but customized for Wilson,” said David Lee, Wilson Parks and Recreation Director. “Our number one priority is always the Wilson community, and we’ve also seen a huge increase in sports tourism in the last decade. It’s extremely exciting for us when a project meets the needs of both groups.”

Pickleball’s popularity in Wilson has skyrocketed since three courts were added at Rotary Park in 2019. Nice days often draw crowds waiting more than an hour to play. The sport is a great option for older people to stay active with less chance of injury, yet the rules of the sport encourage inter-generational play, too.

“Power and strength are not as important with pickleball,” said Richard Frazier, Recreation Manager. “The size of the court also levels the playing field between older and younger players. It’s a great opportunity to have seniors playing against teenagers, but we don’t have the capacity to host even local tournaments.”

The new complex will include a covered shelter, a small building to house concessions and an office and restrooms. A half-mile walking trail will encircle the courts. The facility will be located near the baseball fields.

Construction will take about a year after the planning and permitting period. Construction should begin in the spring of 2023 and will last about a year. Construction will be paid through occupancy tax revenue.

The Wilson City Council approved a $16 million plan Thursday morning that would transform many areas of the city with infrastructure, economic, housing and recreation projects.

The investment would use funds received by the city under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, approved by Congress in spring 2021. The ARP funds were authorized for specific types of projects related to minimizing the impacts of COVID-19 and making investments in infrastructure such as water, sewer and broadband.

Highlights of the project plan include a new splash pad at Reid Street Recreation Center; expansion of RIDE, Wilson’s public micro-transit program; major improvements at Wiggins Mill Reservoir Park; and commercial redevelopment projects including the former Wilson Mall.

“These projects reach every corner of the City of Wilson,” said Mayor Carlton Stevens. “There isn’t a part of the city that will not benefit from the projects in this plan.”

Other City Council members affirmed that thought as the project plan was unanimously approved. Nearly all the projects had been previously included in the city’s capital improvement projects budget or been discussed frequently during City Council meetings.