By Shannon Lukens.
The 12 new pickleball courts in the new 35,000 square foot indoor facility at the Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex in Steamboat Springs are ready to go and in play as of Monday morning.
Steven Modzelewski with Jeff Temple.
Steven “Moz” Modzelewski is the chair of the board for Court Sports 4 Life Foundation which has been raising the money to build the new indoor pickleball facility.
“We’re so excited. I think the words in everybody’s mouths are ‘Zero Zero Two!’ That’s the score you shout out at the beginning of a game and so this is the beginning of a new era of pickleball in Steamboat and we’re proud to be a part of it and bring it to the community.”
Back in 2017, the local pickleball players realized that the city wouldn’t have the funds to provide for indoor pickleball courts so they formed a nonprofit to start raising money to make it happen. Then COVID hit, so that put the fundraising efforts back a little bit. They had enough money at the end of 2022 to begin construction. Groundbreaking was June 17, 2022.
The entire project is about $12.5 million. Over $7.5 million has been raised privately so far.
There are 12 new pickleball courts in the indoor facility which are available year-round. You can see who is on a court through a reservation screen.
The outdoor courts were also re-done. Clay courts used a lot of water, so they were replaced with new pickleball and tennis courts.
There are also ping-pong tables in the facility for tournaments, a pro-shop, and a community meeting room for parties.
There are also 28 new parking spaces and state-of-the-art cameras to be used for performance analysis. Also, the cameras can be used for instant replay and livestreaming which is especially helpful during tournaments.
The new center is hosting the Colorado State Pickleball Championships, Sept. 13-15, at the new Steamboat Pickleball Center. It is also hosted by the United Pickleball Association and it will benefit Stop Alzheimer’s Now.
Monday was a soft opening as a few more things need to be done to the facility, which might close it for a few days. Travis Holmquist and Chad Hare with HLCC Construction have been managing the construction of the building which was designed by Vertical Arts.
June 2, 2024 — STEAMBOAT’S WORLD CLASS PICKLEBALL CENTER SET TO OPEN IN JULY
June 17, 2022 — CONSTRUCTION STARTS FOR INDOOR PICKLEBALL CENTER
Press Release from Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball; July 22, 2024.
35,000 sf Pickleball Center slated to open doors at Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex
State-of-the-art lighting, playback cameras, and gel-coated courts nearly ready for play
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Steamboat Springs, Colorado (July 19, 2024) A cornerstone of Steamboat Springs’ portfolio of recreational sports offerings, is the Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex, and that foundation is about to grow even stronger with the completion of the complex’s state-of-the-art, year-round Pickleball Center, readying for a soft opening at the end of July. The addition of 12 cushioned indoor, year-round pickleball courts, 8 outdoor pickleball courts, and twelve indoor/outdoor tennis courts will make the Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex the largest facility of its kind in the Rocky Mountains, and the second largest in Colorado.
“To witness the completion of the Pickleball Center at the Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball Complex is an honor of the highest caliber,” said Jayson Harris, Director of Pickleball, Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball Complex. “Not only will this facility provide year-round recreation for local and visiting Pickleball and Tennis enthusiasts, but the amount of support from the community to have built this facility is truly remarkable.”
Owned by the City of Steamboat Springs, and managed and operated by Court Sports 4 Life (CS4L), a 501(c)(3) non-profit governed by a Board of Directors, along with a leadership team of 8 full time employees, the Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball Complex broke ground on the Pickleball Center in September 2023 after two phases of capital campaign fundraising efforts, known as the Expansion Project, the near completion of which, will result in the late July opening of the facility.
Phase I of the Expansion Project began in 2022 with a $6M investment resulting in four brand new outdoor tennis courts and eight pickleball courts- all designed with post-tension construction and gel-coated for durability and playing comfort, as well as architectural design and site preparation for building the Pickleball Center.
Phase II of the Complex’s Expansion Project kicked off in September 2023, with the ground-breaking of the 35,000sq ft energy-efficient steel Pickleball Center and expansion of the parking lot, increasing the number of parking spaces by 28. In total, the Complex has privately raised $7.6M out of the $12.5M total investment needed to complete the initial expansion project, with the rest funded by a $5M loan.
Local Steamboat builders, Travis Holmquist and Chad Hare, partners at HLCC Construction Company, managed the construction of the building, and design build firm, Vertical Arts, oversaw the design.
“We designed and built the Pickleball Center with the goal of prioritizing the player experience,” said Jeff Temple, Board of Director and Building Committee Chair, CS4L, and former developer of Steamboat’s Marabou and Storm Mountain Ranch. “We brought in expert vendors specializing in court design both locally, and from all over the country to make this facility the best it could be.”
Kevin Leach, of Altitude Athletic Surfaces– a leader in post-tension construction, served as the facility’s court designer, and Bright Court, lighting design specialist from Washington famed for engineering lighting exclusively for indoor Pickleball, delivered 180-degree non-glare illumination that illuminates every cubic foot of the court, floor to ceiling and wall to wall. All courts are equipped with state-of-the-art cameras, courtesy of PlaySight, giving athletes and coaches the technology to enjoy performance analysis, instant replay and live streaming of tournaments from anywhere.
The new Pickleball Center, sponsored by Joola, and one of the only authorized Lululemon resellers in Steamboat Springs, is considered a Premiere Pickleball facility, and is already gaining national attention despite its doors not even being officially open. United Pickleball Association (UPA) has announced it will host the Colorado UPA State Championship Series September 13-15, 2024, at the newly constructed facility, where top amateur pickleball players from across the state will compete in hopes of advancing to the national finals.
The Steamboat Tennis & Pickleball Complex will host its first mega fundraising event, the Center Court SMASH, August 6, at Flying Diamond Ranch, to round out Phases I and II of the Expansion Project, and to kick off its Courting Love campaign, an initiative to refresh the Tennis Center.
The Pickleball Center features 12 cushioned indoor pickleball courts, a pro shop, community room, dedicated mezzanine level for tournament viewing and entertainment, and more.
For more information, or interest in Sponsorship opportunities, contact Brittanny Havard, Director of Development and Marketing, Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex, by email, britt@steamboattennisandpickleball.com, or at, 860.575.1038.
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Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex
With a mission to enrich the lives of Steamboat Springs area residents and visitors of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic groups through pickleball and tennis, the Steamboat Springs Tennis and Pickleball Complex is nationally acclaimed as a public recreational treasure for its facilities and programs. Located at the base of Steamboat Ski Resort, the complex features twelve indoor/outdoor Tennis courts, two pro shops, and 20 indoor/outdoor year-round Pickleball courts, with the recent completion of a state-of-the-art, 35,000 sq ft Pickleball Center. By providing premier tennis and pickleball facilities, robust recreational and training programs, and innovative engagement of under-resourced families, adaptive athletes, seniors, and other social cohorts, the Steamboat Tennis and Pickleball Complex is a national leader in sports and recreation opportunities, available to all.