08/13/2026
Leesburg Approves Nearly $1 Million Contract for New Pickleball Courts
Pop, click, clack. That’s the sound of pickleball games that will be coming to Leesburg’s recreation complex between South Palmetto and Second Streets.
Leesburg City commissioners Monday approved a $983,870 contract for a builder to design and build 8 to 12 courts next to the Lakefront TV studio, hopefully within a few months. The contract goes to Eco Contracting in Mount Dora.
The new courts arrive at a site with recent history. The former Leesburg Shuffleboard Club property on South Palmetto Street, in the same area as where the pickleball courts are planned, was at the center of a contentious city vote last year. In August 2025, city commissioners approved donating the shuffleboard courts to the Forward Paths Foundation to build 10 tiny homes for youth aging out of foster care.
The nearby tennis courts are also scheduled for resurfacing.
“I’ve been here 12 years now and the number one request has been pickleball,” says Travis Rima, director of recreation for the city.
No wonder. It has been the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for five consecutive years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association. About 24.3 million people played matches in 2025, up 22.8 percent in a single year and 171.8 percent over three years.
“There’s hundreds of courts in The Villages,” Travis says, "and players line up to play at Lake County’s Pear Park every day."
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