Winter Springs pickleball courts’ opening day: April 13

The long-awaited $3.1M facility’s opening will include food trucks, music, but the facility also courts controversy

The pickleball courts at Central Winds Park are scheduled to have opening ceremonies April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The City of Winter Springs is prepping to open its 14-court pickleball complex for the general public to play on this month. The opening event will have a ribbon-cutting, inaugural play and will feature food trucks and music until 2 p.m. 

Winter Springs Spokesperson Matthew Reeser said commissioners will play an opening match. He said the court will be opened for free play afterwards, and the reservation system will go live the Monday after the opening. 

“The first day of play will be that Saturday,” Reeser said. 

“Please note Central Winds Dog Park will be closed until 3 p.m. due to the festivities,” city officials noted. 

The courts aren’t without controversy. The pickleball courts were a common item mentioned by residents to complain about city spending when Winter Springs raised stormwater fees, and are a frequent punching bag online. 

Ultimately, Winter Springs paid $3.1 million for the complex, including $2.3 million that was originally budgeted, plus three subsequent budget increases to increase the size of the courts, improve the terrain  and add lighting so it would be capable of hosting tournaments.

The city recently finalized a contract with its vendor, Glen White, for pro services at the court. The courts are expected to be open from 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Once open, the city will get 15% of the revenue from the pro services which, in previous documents, White estimated to range from about $23,000 annually to about $83,000 in city revenue.

The project has been in the works since 2021.