Pickleball is coming to Skyline Park in downtown Denver — just in time for summer.
Denver Parks and Recreation confirmed to Denverite that it will be installing a temporary pickleball court at Skyline Park between 17th and 18th streets, near the dog park. Construction on the pickleball court is expected to finish before summer.
This summer’s downtown court will build on a similar pickleball popup in the park last summer. The new version of the court will include benches and fewer fences to allow “people to enjoy the park.”
Skyline Park is slated for a major redesign in the coming years. Initial designs for the park show an area that could serve as an ice-skating rink in the winter and a water play area in warmer months, as well as a dining pavilion and an events venue.
Downtown isn’t the only neighborhood getting pickleball. During a presentation to a Denver City Council committee, DPR Director Jolon Clark said the department is working on designs to bring pickleball courts to the Rosedale and Lowry neighborhoods.
The city has also floated the idea of installing six pickleball courts at the gravel pit by Civic Center Station, where they could potentially stay for five to seven years. The status of that project is up in the air.
Pickleball combines elements of other racket sports like doubles tennis, racquetball and ping-pong. It has exploded in popularity in recent years, but it has run into controversy in Denver and elsewhere because of the loud “pop” sound created by its rackets and plastic balls.
One public court in Denver has tried to quiet the complaints by offering special noise-dampening paddles.
