HUNTSVILLE – The new state-of-the-art John Hunt Park Recreation Center will bring fresh activity opportunities to the City’s largest park.
An $18.5 million project calling for 25 lighted exterior pickleball courts covered by an engineered metal structure to ensure fewer rainouts is scheduled to begin this Fall.
City Council authorized Mayor Tommy Battle to enter into a construction agreement with Fite Building Company for the project. It will be located just north of Joe Davis Stadium on approximately 8.5 acres.
“When we started planning for the new recreation center, we knew that pickleball had to be a central feature,” Battle said. “We wanted to ensure we provided top-notch facilities for this rapidly growing sport, and we’re confident this design will make our pickleball community very happy.”
The one-story, 60,580-square-foot recreation center will feature four full-sized gymnasiums with four regulation-size basketball courts, which can be striped to accommodate eight regulation-size volleyball courts. A concession area and restrooms will link the gyms to the main building, which will include a fitness room, two multi-purpose activity rooms, office space, and more. Additionally, the facility will include a new parking lot with 298 parking spaces
The agreement also covers sitework, including parking, landscaping, and streetscape improvements to Don Mincher Drive. The new center was designed by William M. Boehme & Associates.
The construction contract is set for 420 days and stipulates that work will begin within 10 calendar days of issuance of notice to proceed.
