Green’s residents are on the verge of having many more options for recreation. Mayor Gerard Neugebauer explains the impetus: “We have 15 parks in Green — everything from our own City parks to Nimisila Reservoir, a Summit Metropark, which is 1,500 acres including a beautiful lake, and a municipal golf course (Raintree Golf & Event Center). It’s a very robust park system. But we discovered through our [citizen] survey that we had a shortage of off-season rec space, specifically basketball.”
As the Green Local Schools started to plan for their new facilities, the city and schools began discussions on a collaboration that resulted in an innovative idea that benefits all. The city’s plan is to build a facility with two full-sized basketball court with bleachers (four full-sized courts when bleachers are retracted). One of the courts will be utilized by the middle school during school hours and the other — including one that’s striped for six pickleball courts — are for public use. In addition, the city will construct an indoor turf practice field with an elevated walking track, as well as studio space for fitness classes.
The recreational facility is designed by Andrew Lallathin and Melinda Scalfaro, partners at SoL Harris/Day Architecture. Lallathin says the new courts have two entries. “The Community Courts have a separate entry from the school entry,” he says. “The school doors are locked during the school day, so there’s no public access to the school courts while school is in session.”
The safety plan goes a few steps further, according to Scalfaro. “It’s designed so that the public has no visual access [to the middle school areas], unless those doors are opened,” she says. “The doors are alarmed, and there are camera systems on both sides as well.”
As with any good partnership, both entities benefit, and in this case, the taxpayers benefit the most. “The city is funding all the gym space,” Neugebauer says. “We’re saving $3 million to $4 million by building the Community Courts along with the middle school. It saves a water line, electricity and utilities — that’s money [the schools] can apply to education spaces.”
Lallathin is impressed by the plan’s inclusivity. “It’s exciting to see the partnership between the school district and the city to realize such a fun and active space that allows not only the furthering of education but also so many opportunities for community members to utilize the space and walking track,” he says. “The partnership has allowed a lot of resources to go back into education but also provides opportunities for the community as well.”
Construction of the Community Courts coincides with the Green Middle School construction, with a completion date of fall 2025.
Pickleball Picks Up
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America, and Green is no exception. In addition to the court space within the Community Courts, Green has 10 outdoor, lighted courts at Boettler Park that are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. “They are very popular,” says Valerie Wax Carr, Green’s director of public service. “They have very sophisticated lights. When [players] walk onto the court, they come on.”
This summer, Green held its first pickleball tournament, the Rookie Round Robin, in partnership with the NorthEast Ohio Pickleball Players (NEOPP). “As a first tournament, we were thrilled with 50 participants,” says Zack Kaufman, Green’s recreation programmer.
The second tournament, in partnership with Pav’s Creamery, drew three categories of 16 teams and nearly 100 participants.
Kaufman says there’s much more to come. “Beginning in 2024, we are planning the City of Green Pickleball Series,’’ he says. “This will be a series of tournaments to provide opportunities for a wide range of players and to continue to showcase our facilities.”
