East CourtS Project
The 8 East Courts were constructed in the summer and fall of 2016. Several years of negotiations with Craig Ahlstrom, President of Farnsworth Development, resulted in an agreement on location and funding. If the Pickleball Club would contribute $110,000 to the project, 8 courts would be built across the street from the existing 4 West courts. Other areas considered were under the power lines south of our community and in the area of the Golf Clubhouse.
Contributions from the SSV Tennis Club and SSV Softball Club assisted the Pickleball Club in reaching our goal. The Club initiated Lifetime Memberships at $250 and a donation program which recognized several levels of donations. As a group, six Pickleball families agreed to match other members donations up to a total of $20,000. A bronze plaque mounted on the East Court storage/kitchen building was used to recognize the donors and lifetime members who contributed to this effort. SSV Bingo donated funds to purchase the bleachers and picnic tables at the courts. Members also donated a refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and other kitchen items for our new kitchen and storage area. The club wishes to acknowledge the support and assistance provided by Craig and his staff in achieving this milestone.
Club activities to help us reach our goal!
Pickleball Revenue 2015-2016
- Lifetime Dues $22,750
- Regular Dues $3,990
- Donations $2,155
- Matching Donations $30,800
- Bingo $3,023
- Vegas Night $3,378
- Dance $1,596
- SSV Open House $1,000
- Garage Sale $1,309
- Trivia Night $453
- Name That Tune Night $204
- Name Tags $264
- Shirts/Hats/Visors $358
- Car Show Concessions $272
TOTAL $71,552
Construction Photos and Information
Initial grading. The equipment to do the grading was only one of five in the United States.
Base leveled.
Tensioning cables installed.
7/19/16 2:00 AM The courts were poured in the middle of the night to avoid the daytime heat and sun.
13 cement trucks arrived 7 minutes apart. 4 courts were poured each night. The cement pump cost $3,000 per night.
19 workers were involved in the pour. It took 90 minutes to pour the four courts each night.
Laser guided equipment that spreads and smooths the concrete can make 9 corrections per second. Courts are level to within 1/8 of an inch.
Value of equipment used in constructing the courts - $7 million dollars!
Device to apply tension to the cables.
Kitchen and storage building. Original plans were for restrooms only.
Installing the fences.
Adding sidewalks and bleacher pads.
Final grading.
Preparing the parking lot.
Landscaping irrigation lines.
Planting trees.
Bleacher assembly,
SRP out in force the morning of dedication to connect electricity.
The YouTube video to the left is a drone view of the early portion of the court construction. It was generously provided by Steve Heyer.
0:00 - 02:23 Before concrete pour
04:57 - 7:47 After concrete pour
The other parts of the video are interesting as they show the construction of the Golf Patio Grill, the Assisted Living Center, and parts of Mulberry.
The Grand Opening Celebration was held on December 1, 2016.
East Courts Grand Opening Celebration. Craig Ahlstrom provided a catered lunch. Club members and community contributors attended.
Craig Ahlstrom
Rick Briggs, Ambrose Reschny, Jeff Decker, Tim Nielson (Court Architect), Beth Coons (Farnsworth Co.), Craig Ahlstrom, Gary Wagner, Onno DeVries
