Following feedback from both the tennis and pickleball communities, the Fairfax County Park Authority has decided not to move forward with plans for new dedicated pickleball courts at the Franconia Rec Center.
Andrew Grabel, a spokesperson for the park authority, tells FFXnow it’s striving to meet the needs of all community members by creating more dedicated pickleball and tennis courts and fewer dual-use courts throughout the county.
“This requires balancing community feedback, accessibility, and the highest and best use of its maintenance and construction resources,” Grabel said.
In September, the county proposed converting half of Franconia’s four existing tennis practice courts to pickleball only, which would have created six dedicated pickleball courts, three dedicated tennis courts and two practice courts.
However, the FCPA announced on Oct. 9 that it has nixed plans to convert the tennis courts to pickleball. Due to ongoing conflicts between tennis and pickleball players, the current dual-use court will revert to tennis use only, Grabel said.
“The approved approach aims to ensure a fair and balanced allocation of court access for both user groups,” he said.
Construction is now expected to begin the week of Oct. 19. At the end of the project, the Franconia Rec Center (6601 Telegraph Road) will have a total of three dedicated tennis courts, four dedicated pickleball courts and a four-section practice wall.
“At Franconia, the three tennis courts, four pickleball courts, and practice wall will help ensure that pickleball and tennis players have their own spaces for recreation,” Grabel said.
Additionally, the park authority recently announced the completion of upgrades at Wakefield Park (8100 Braddock Road) in Annandale, making it the county’s largest pickleball complex.
“The project added six new dedicated pickleball courts, bringing the total to eight and expanding recreation opportunities for players of all ages and skill levels,” the park authority said in a press release.
More from the park authority on the renovation:
As part of the renovation, one tennis court was converted into four dedicated pickleball courts, while two dual-use courts were returned to tennis-only play. With these changes, Wakefield Park now offers a total of 18 courts and one practice area, including 10 tennis courts and eight pickleball courts.
In addition to the court reconfiguration, the three basketball courts located behind the skate park were resurfaced and recoated to improve playability and safety. These improvements reflect FCPA’s ongoing commitment to meeting the growing community demand for pickleball and enhancing access to high-quality recreational facilities throughout Fairfax County.
Across the county, there are currently 95 pickleball courts, including both dedicated courts and those shared with other sports like tennis.
Screenshot via Google Maps
