Six lighted pickleball courts, two beach volleyball courts and more are part of the plan
Plans to expand Georgetown’s Gellert Community Park have reached another major milestone.
At their most recent meeting, Halton Hills councilors approved the final concept for the park expansion on Eighth Line in Georgetown South. The decision will be ratified at the council meeting on November 20.
New park amenities will include:
- A full-size, floodlit soccer field built in the center of the expansion fields (moved from its current location in the park)
- Six lighted pickleball courts
- Lighted multipurpose fields
- An asphalt pump track for BMX, scooters and skateboards
- Two beach volleyball courts
- Two additional lighted tennis courts, adjacent to the existing tennis courts
- Two spaces equipped with fitness equipment along a network of illuminated paths
- A large playground with natural elements.
“The overall final concept provides a mix of active sporting activities, passive and active green spaces and a wide variety of new public-facing park amenities,” principal landscape architect Mark Taylor said in a report to council.
Staff estimates the expansion will cost about $6 million, based on the current design. The tender process for the works is planned for the end of 2024.
Future phases of development on the Gellert property will include an expansion of a community center and an outdoor refrigerated skating loop.
City councilors liked what they saw in the park expansion concept, and many praised the work staff has done so far.
“I think you’ve come up with a fabulous plan, so kudos to you,” said Mayor Ann Lawlor.
“Everything is really coming together – it’s beautiful,” added Councilor Jason Brass.
He then expressed concern over whether or not six pickleball courts would be enough to meet the community’s intense demand, noting that he believed they “would be sold out before they were even built.”
Taylor told him that staff tried to balance many sports in the expansion’s design and that other elements would have to be eliminated if the city were to make room for more than six pickleball courts.
Along the same lines, the City is exploring the possibility of erecting a dome at Gellert Community Park that could facilitate more indoor space for a variety of sports – a structure that would be welcomed by many local organizations.
Representatives from the Halton Hills Pickleball Association and the Georgetown Soccer Club told council that the growth of their groups is outpacing the availability of local indoor courts and courts, with both having to look outside of Halton Hills to meet the needs current.
Council has asked staff to put out a formal request for expressions of interest from third parties, such as local sports clubs, for a partnership that could bring the dome concept to fruition.
Parks and Open Spaces Director Kevin Okimi said it was a “zero-cost solution for the city,” with the third party expected to supply, install, maintain and operate the potential sports dome.
City staff will report back to council on this matter at a later date.
