Sedalia Park Board Submits $500K Grant Request for Pickleball Courts, Splash Pad

The Sedalia Park Board has approved the submission of a request for a $500,000 match grant through the state of Missouri for the construction of pickle ball courts and a splash pad at Centennial Park.

The board made it official Thursday night at their monthly meeting at the Heckart Community Center, 1800 W. 3rd.

According to Parks & Rec Director Amy Epple, the last time such a grant was approved locally was over 20 years ago when Centennial Pool was built.

The Land, Water and Conservation Fund grant is good for up to a half million dollars. “If we get this grant, we can do (construction) all at one time, instead of in phases,” Epple said, adding that John Simmons, who recently retired as Sedalia’s Community Development Director, and now works full time for Sedalia Parks & Rec, was the grant writer for this project. Simmons arrived at his new job with multiple years of experience and plenty of expertise in the art of grant writing.

“That’s the way we prefer to do it,” Epple said. It’s good for the community to do it all at one time, instead of doing one phase of it, then do construction on the next phase three years later for the rest of it.”

Epple noted that this particular project will cost $1.5 million and the LWCF grant, if approved, will come in very handy.

“We have a little over a million allocated for that, so that extra $500,000 would help us to be able to do everything,” she told KSIS.

The demolition of the old pool will occur just before the new construction there begins, Epple said. New restrooms will be a part of the project as well.

Incidentally, the LWCF grant was not considered for Sedalia’s new aquatic center and bowling alley, as that money has already been secured.

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Speaking of Parks & Rec’s project on the east side of town, the Sedalia Park Board also learned that the RFQ (Request For Qualifications) went out recently.

“That is finally moving, it’s going and it’s very exciting for us to get the official design team (assembled). There will also be an environmental engineer on staff, dedicated to the construction project. We will also be working closely with DNR, so we’re excited to get that ball moving,” Epple said.

Since the aquatic center and bowling alley project was announced, a Taco Bell has popped up at the corner of Broadway and Hancock, and there are rumors of a McDonald’s to be built there as well at that location.

As for new pickle ball courts on the east side of Sedalia, Epple pointed out how popular the sport is nationwide. In fact there are plans for a public forum to discuss what to do with the tennis courts at Liberty, since Smith-Cotton has their own courts now.

Epple is seeking input from residents to help decide if some of the six tennis courts should be converted to pickle ball courts. This would be in addition to the indoor courts at the Heckart, of course.

Epple said that Parks & Rec will survey residents in November or December concerning that possibility, as the board is currently working on next year’s budget.

The new splash pad at Centennial will have a baseball theme, Epple noted.

Publications Plus was the winner of the bid to print a program guide for Parks & Rec's upcoming events at a cost of $11,444.19.

Epple said area residents may have a copy of it in their mailbox by late January or early February.

A new member was added to the board Thursday night, when Gary Holstein appeared at his first meeting and was introduced by Epple to the rest of the board. Holstein’s day job is curator and director of the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art on the State Fair Community College campus. Holstein will serve three years on the board, replacing Michelle Woolery, who rotated off the park board.