Brandon tennis and pickleball centre nearly complete

The downtown Wheat City Tennis and Pickleball Hub reached 80 per cent completion last week, a project manager said.

Electricians and mechanical trades workers finished installing lighting and heating and cooling ducts through the building last week, Concept Homes co-owner and project manager Joel Cardinal-Schultz told the Sun. A major milestone was crossed last week as well, as four out of four bays have also had the asphalt laid for pickleball and tennis courts.

“It was a long time coming, getting the asphalt down was a big one,” Schultz said, standing at the construction site at 1201 Pacific Ave. “That’s when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel, if you will.”

Schultz said the hope is to have the building open Nov. 1 this year, however to make that happen the team would “need a few things to go our way.”

The foundation of the building is in place and work is now focused on the finishing touches, like drywall, paint and flooring. The construction of the facility’s parking lot, consisting of roughly 30 spaces, has been pushed to next year.

The project is about $400,000 over budget, Schultz said, partly due to features added to the building that were not originally planned, including a $650,000 solar panel installation, and cameras added to each court for spectatorship, and an overhead speaker system.

Drywalling was being completed last week on the centre portion of the building where amenities are located, including the gym, cold plunge, and lounge. Projects come together fast in this final stage, he said.

The project has made the downtown core more attractive for some developers already, Ryan Nickel, the city’s director of planning and buildings, told the Sun in a recent interview.

Developers at a property directly across the street cited the pickleball facility as a plus when considering to build housing, he said.

“I did have conversations with them, and they did mention that pickleball facility had a positive impact on how they viewed investment on their property.”

The housing development, south of the pickleball facility, is being headed up by Westman Premier Homes and Keller Developments in collaboration with the Sneath Group. Nickel added the momentum may already be generating interest in other possibilities downtown.

“I’ve also talked to some other folks in the area who are also kind of looking at opportunities that perhaps they wouldn’t have looked at as favourably if they hadn’t seen this other investment in the area.”

He added, “These larger sites have a positive impact on how investment is seen throughout the community, and then the hope is that we see other investments come in those areas because they start to see the momentum changing.”

Robyn Sneath, CEO of Sneath Group, told the Sun in an email that the pickleball courts were a “factor” in the decision to invest in the complex dubbed The Eddy Residences.

“We hope the pickleball courts will attract avid pickleball players to live at The Eddy,” Sneath said.

She said that the facility is expected to increase visitation downtown, which will enhance the atmosphere of the city’s core.

“It’s an attraction that will bring more people downtown, day and evening, and will contribute to making downtown a place that people want to be. We’re very much looking forward to having them as a neighbour.”

In July, following the groundbreaking at the 72-unit housing complex at 1200 Pacific Avenue, several officials commented that momentum had built in the area.

Mayor Jeff Fawcett said that the sod turning marked a milestone for the future of housing and downtown development.

“This development will contribute to economic growth, support our labour force and strengthen the long-term vitality of Brandon,” Fawcett said at the time. “This represents a major investment in our city and in our future.”

The City of Brandon incentivized development at the pickleball facility, giving rise to momentum in the area. The city designated the pickleball site as a community revitalization property, which included a land sale at $1 and a 10-year 100 per cent incremental municipal tax reduction.

The hub is projected to attract up to 12,000 visitors in the first year, and nearly 60,000 by the 10th year.

Discussing that momentum, Brandon Downtown BIZ executive director Emmy Sanderson last year said she believes the hub will have a transformative affect on Brandon’s core.

“I think it’s going to have a tremendous impact on downtown,” she said. “It’s going to create another draw for our downtown as a destination. It’ll bring people from all over the city and western Manitoba, and we’re really excited for the positive impact it’s going to have.”

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com