City Council OKs new pickleball complex by Corby Pond, animal shelter donation and tech upgrades
Cameron Montemayor
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) — Construction of a new $796,000 pickleball complex by Corby Pond and funds for ongoing work on a new animal shelter received the green light from City Councilmembers.
Among the agenda items approved at Monday’s City Council meeting was a contract with McConnell and Associates for development of a new pickleball complex by Corby Grove on North 22nd Street, a project funded by parks tax and CIP funds. The complex will be located in the same spot where the former Corby tennis courts once stood.
The complex is being constructed with eight regulation-size pickleball courts, enhanced lighting for evening play, seating areas and minimal landscaping to preserve the natural character of the park. New sidewalks will also provide stronger connectivity.
“Pickleball is still growing by leaps and bounds here locally,” St. Joseph Parks and Recreation Director Jeff Atkins said. “So we’re anxious to to be able to add to the the pickleball population here in town and easily by this time next year they should be playing pickleball there.”
Pickleball claimed the title of ‘fastest growing sport’ in the U.S. for a third consecutive year in 2024 according to Sports & Fitness Industry Association, with participation rising by a staggering 223.5% in the last three years.
Councilmembers also approved a $225,000 contribution from the Friends of the Animal Shelter to provide additional funding for ongoing construction of the $5 million shelter on the South Belt Highway.
The latest contribution pushes the non-profit’s total funding amount closer to $2 million for the long-awaited shelter, a 13,000-square-foot facility taking shape at 3405 S. Belt Highway.
Shelter officials said during a groundbreaking ceremony in June that the goal is to have animal shelter staff moved into the new facility in late June of 2026. The new shelter comes with an additional 5,000 square feet of space compared to the aging and outdated facility at 701 S.W. Lower Lake Road.
City to invest close to $1 million for technology upgrades
Monday’s agenda also includes an ordinance to provide funding in an amount not to exceed $997,659 for investments to the city’s technology services to address infrastructure modernization.
Funds will be used for components such as servers, firewalls, networking equipment, data storage solutions, and improved backup processes. It will also allow for the implementation of professional services and tools necessary to manage the evolving demands on the City’s technology environment.
The proposed ordinance says the city has many platforms that are aging and now require upgrades to ensure they remain reliable, efficient, and aligned with current standards.
New seating on deck for Phil Welch Stadium
St. Joseph’s historic Phil Welch Stadium will see all new seating installed following the Mustangs’s MINK League Championship this summer, the latest upgrade for the beloved ballpark.
Council members authorized a $336,814 contract with Mid-State School Equipment on Monday to remove aging and deteriorating seats and install new seating at Phil Welch Stadium utilizing parks sales tax funds.
The project could begin this fall and will provide a needed upgrade for fan seating once complete. The stadium was opened back in 1939 and has undergone significant renovations in recent years.
City commits long-term costs for closure of landfill
While St. Joseph’s landfill is more than two decades away from closing, city officials took required steps toward long-term financial planning for its eventual closure by committing $19.8 million for closure and post-closure costs in 2047.
Post-closure is a DNR-mandated 25-year obligation that takes place after a landfill closes, including covering the landfill, monitoring methane gases and numerous other environmental requirements to ensure safe closure.
Other agenda items approved by Council
Contract in the amount of $95,000 and a change order in the amount of $107,550 with Auxier Construction Company for the construction of the Hyde Park maintenance building construction project utilizing parks sales tax funds.
Filing of an application with the Missouri Department of Economic Development for a Military Community Reinvestment Grant under which the city will provide matching funds in the amount of $120,000 for a total grant amount of $240,000 for a modular training simulator at Rosecrans Air National Guard base.