Sterling Heights breaks ground on new pickleball facility

STERLING HEIGHTS — With sledgehammers in hand, Sterling Heights city officials took to knocking down the first walls of a property transformation that will eventually become the city’s new pickleball facility.

At the City Council’s Sept. 2 meeting, Parks and Recreation Director Kyle Langlois presented the council with a proposal to purchase property at 35630 Van Dyke Ave., near 15 Mile Road, to construct a new facility.

The investment comes in at $9.7 million, $2.5 million for the purchase of the property and $7.2 million for the design and construction of the facility, Langlois said.

While many residents were hoping for a new facility to be constructed from the ground up, the city opted instead to purchase a vacant department store to renovate and repurpose. It was purchased through a limited liability company, which led to questions about transparency and accusations that the city was trying to hide the owner.

Despite criticism from several residents who spoke up at the Sept. 2 meeting, City Council members approved the purchase of the property in a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Henry Yanez being the only one to vote against it.

The planned facility will have nine pickleball courts, six tournament-ready table tennis courts, gathering areas with a cafe, meeting and party rooms, locker rooms and other amenities. The facility comes as part of the Pathway to Play and Preservation millage, which was approved by voters in November 2024. The city held a public meeting to gain feedback about the facility in late September, and a groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 23.

The millage is about investing in places where people want to connect, Mayor Michael Taylor said in a statement.

Taylor has been an advocate for both the project and the millage.

“Buying this piece of property, this building, and creating an amenity for our residents, it’s really exciting,” he said at the groundbreaking. “I think pickleball is a sport that is going to be here for a long, long time. It’s as popular as any sport lately.”

Taylor said pickleball is also a way for seniors to stay active, and it’s growing with younger generations as well.

At the groundbreaking, Langlois said the facility is another amenity that will help make Sterling Heights a destination for its strong quality-of-life services.

“There’s a lot of people taking note of what’s happening in Sterling Heights, and this is just another example of how we’re really transforming the quality of life and parks and recreation landscape in our industry,” he said.

The facility is expected to be completed and open in July 2026.