At Roger Farmer Park in West Asheville on a recent sunny afternoon, community members examined maps, wrote ideas on Post-It notes and chatted with Parks and Recreation staff about the city’s plans for a new pickleball complex.
The event was the first of several this week at which the city is seeking input from community members as it eyes two potential locations for the long-sought facility, which will include eight to 10 pickleball courts.
Christina Dupuch, board president of the Asheville Pickleball Association, said the progress on the project is “really a dream come true.”
“I mean, this is a huge week for the pickleball community, to have community meetings and see the reality of a vision coming,” Dupuch said. “And so, now we just want to make sure we all show up and provide feedback and continue to be a great partner with the city and the Parks and Recreation department.”
For years, Dupuch and others have urged the city of Asheville to build more facilities for players of the rapidly-growing paddle sport. They succeeded in getting the city to add dual lines to its existing tennis courts for shared use. Then, in 2024, Asheville voters overwhelmingly approved a general obligation bond package that included $20 million for investments in Parks and Recreation projects, a portion of which is dedicated to the pickleball complex.
The city has now narrowed down the potential location of the project to two possibilities: Aston Park in downtown Asheville and Roger Farmer Park in West Asheville. The city has said it chose to use existing park land to “maximize the bond investment without the expense of new land acquisition.”
Al Kopf, a landscape architect for Asheville Parks and Recreation, said the two parks were selected as finalists due to factors including their topography, their accessibility to users with disabilities, and their distance from residences — a key consideration given that those who live close to pickleball courts often raise concerns about the sport’s noise level.
Historically, Asheville pickleballers and tennis players have at times been at odds due to the limited number of courts available. Kopf said he hasn’t received any negative feedback about the planned pickleball complex so far, and that it was “exciting to see” all the enthusiasm for the sport.
“I've been with the city of Asheville for over 40 years now — in the Parks and Recreation department for almost all of those,” Kopf said. “And I don't think I've seen a sport with this much passion in a short period of time.”
The city says it expects to select the final site by the end of the summer. No timeline has been given yet on the completion of the project.
Dupuch said it’s a “hard call” between the two parks. Aston Park, with its 12 outdoor clay courts, is nationally recognized as a tennis destination. But Roger Farmer Park also “has potential,” she said.
Teri Lyng, a fellow board member of the Asheville Pickleball Association, said whichever park gets chosen, the pickleball complex “will bring life to that park.”
“I mean, pickleball players come together,” Lyng said. “They're very social. And I think you would see it today – if there were pickleball courts here right now, this parking lot would be full. There'd be a buzz. And so, wherever it gets built, we're going to bring that energy, which I think will be a real add to that neighborhood.”
Lyng said she and her husband moved to Asheville six years ago “knowing zero people.” They began playing pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic, and soon found themselves with an “instant family” of hundreds of fellow pickleballers in Asheville.
“We came here and started playing at the public parks,” she said. “As soon as you get on the court with people, you introduce yourselves. And then once you play together, you're friends. And then you're mixing up with the other people that are there. It was just such a fast ramp up to feeling like this was home.”
Community members can provide feedback on the project here through May 11.
