“Obviously, this is a great thing moving forward,” Councilman Cameron Nelson said when the council approved the contract for the construction.

In January 2023, the City Council took the initial step to build the first purpose-built pickleball courts in the community when it approved a $35,000 contract with Snyder & Associates, of Ankeny, to design the project.

“It really means a lot to a lot of people that you’ve made the commitment to get the ball rolling on that,” Roxanne Kuhlman, of Fort Dodge, told the council members after they awarded the contract. She plays pickleball and has addressed the council previously about the need for dedicated courts.

In August, the council voted unanimously to hire Minturn Inc., of Brooklyn, to build the courts at a cost of $304,882.

-Messenger file photo

The courts are expected to be completed by June, according to Lori Branderhorst, the city’s director of parks, recreation and forestry.

Branderhorst said the courts will be north of the Rosedale Rapids Aquatics Center and east of the picnic shelter and playground equipment. She said a 4-foot-tall fence separating the two sets of courts will be added later.

Pickleball is similar to tennis, except it is played with solid paddles and a wiffle ball. A pickleball court measures 22 feet by 44 feet. Fort Dodge does not have a true pickleball court. The game is now played on the basketball courts at Dodger Courts.