At a Monday night meeting, the #MiddletownRI Town Council awards a contract for design and bid services for four pickleball courts at John Clarke Park. Several local leaders applaud the idea to add even more recreational opportunities in town.
PICKLEBALL COURTS CONSIDERED FOR JOHN CLARKE PARK
MIDDLETOWN, RI (JULY 7, 2025) – Middletown’s pursuit of dedicated pickleball courts is moving to the next step.
At a meeting Monday night in Town Hall, the Town Council awarded approximately a $8,500 contract to Crossman Engineering to prepare design and bid documents for four new pickleball courts at John Clarke Park.
Located at 127 John Clarke Road across from the BankNewport corporate headquarters, the new courts would be the first standalone pickleball courts in Middletown free to use for anyone — if built.
Town Administrator Shawn J. Brown said when the item comes back to the council for review and construction award at a future meeting, a set of rules for use of the pickleball courts and other standards would be part of the proposal.
“It’s a good location for pickleball,” Brown said. “It was received well the last time we talked about it. There are no residential areas near it. We’ve received correspondence from BankNewport and they were excited about it and adding pickleball to the park.”
Known as one of the fastest growing sports in America, the pickleball craze has hit Middletown in a big time way.
The town currently offers four lined pickleball courts at Howland Park at 10 Third Beach Road. Those multi-use courts are shared with street hockey and other users on a “first come, first served” basis.
The Newport Pickleball Club also opened at 866 West Main Road late last year to rave reviews. Visit https://www.newportpickleball.com/ for more.
In discussions over the last year or two, John Clarke Park emerged as the top option for new town pickleball courts.
In addition to its close proximity to the Newport County YMCA, the new courts would be far from any residential neighborhoods. One of the complaints from nearby homeowners in other communities is the distinct “pop, pop, pop, pop” sound a pickleball makes when struck with a racket.
Previously, the town has talked with YMCA leadership about creating even more synergy between the two organizations through the new courts, something that’s been viewed as a positive by all involved.
The courts would also add to Middletown’s growing inventory of active and passive recreational opportunities. To view a list of available facilities, go to https://mdl.town/Facilities online.
Town officials indicated existing open space and recreational bond money would be used to pay for the new John Clarke Park courts. A projected price tag for the court construction project was not discussed Monday night.
To review a memo about the project from Steven Cabral of Crossman Engineering in Warwick, go to https://www.middletownri.gov/DocumentCenter/View/19795/Cabral-Pickleball-Memo online.
Multiple council members said they’d like to see Howland Park returned to its original intent as more of a “passive” recreation site should the new John Clarke Park courts be installed.
Council Vice President Thomas Welch and Charlie Roberts said they supported pickleball and adding to the John Clarke Park courts.
“I drive by Howland (Park) all the time and it is jammed constantly with people playing pickleball outside,” Welch said. “(The courts at John Clarke Park) was a great idea then and it’s still a great idea now, so I am all for it.”
“I agree with you, Mr. Vice President,” Roberts said. “There are pickleball players there all the time, which kind of pushes other people from using the park, including people wanting to play hockey and even sometimes basketball.”
“I agree with Charlie about Howland Park,” council President Paul Rodrigues said. “That park was intended to be a passive park.”
Brown said the decision about pickleball at Howland Park after the John Clarke Park courts were built was up to the council. However, if it was up to him, Brown said he’d like to see Howland Park revert back to a more “passive” site.
As for the John Clarke Park courts, Brown said he’s meeting with YMCA officials again soon to see if the two organizations could work together to best manage the site.
Town officials applauded the effort and said they were happy to see the community pursuing another important recreational opportunity.
“The proposed location is ideal, there are no residential abutters, accessible and is currently underutilized,” said Will Cronin, who oversees Middletown’s parks and beaches as part of his responsibilities to the town. “It will be great to add more courts for residents to use. What a great way for people to get out, socialize and exercise.”
Document Link: https://mdl.town/NYCU-Pickleball-JCP
About Middletown
The Town of Middletown is a vibrant municipality located on Aquidneck Island, known for its scenic beauty, historic landmarks, diverse economy and strong sense of community. For more information about all we have to offer, visit MiddletownRI.gov online.
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