Photo provided Savanna Cisar, on left, and Beau Mclean play at the recently opened Unified Bank pickleball courts.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The city of St. Clairsville now has four permanent pickleball courts outside the Unified Jr. Rec Center.

City Recreation Director Eric Gay said he has been aware of the growing demand for pickleball, which is played inside the city’s recreation center five days a week.

“We know that it’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, if not the fastest-growing sport in the country. There was a big open space out there and we kept wondering what we were going to do out there,” Gay said. “There was an existing building there that was torn down probably 10 years ago, and this was just a really nice space, but we couldn’t figure out what to do with it.”

He said the idea for pickleball courts came to him unexpectedly and city officials quickly embraced the concept.

“They are officially open right now, but there is some additional work that still is going to go into the courts,” Gay said. “We’re putting a permanent net system up right now. We just have a temporary net system up, and we have to finish one side of the fence. We had to leave it open because we have to get some bucket trucks in. It will be illuminated with lighting, so we’re adding some permanent steps, and then a top layer of sealant goes on top of the court.”

Gay said the courts are playable even though some work remains.

“They’re beautiful, they’re playable, but there are still some additional steps that are going into it. They turned out great, and we’re really excited to finish the courts,” he said.

He thanked Unified Bank for serving as a major sponsor and helping the city complete the project.

“We can’t thank them enough for their support and the city’s support,” Gay said. “They donated a big portion to get the project done, and it just kind of flows so nicely outside of the current Unified building that we have over there.”

“It really turned out really, really nice,” he added. “I know that there are some additional things that we have to finish, but they were fine to be opened, and we’re so excited to get the lights up, finish the fences and put the permanent netting in. They are ready to go.”

Gay said players were already making frequent use of the courts over the weekend.

Unified Bank Chairman, President and CEO Scott Everson said the bank’s vision is to create better lives and futures for the residents and communities it serves.

“We are proud to sponsor the new Unified Bank pickleball courts, which will provide opportunities for recreation and wellness to our area residents,” Everson said. “This project reflects Unified’s continued commitment to investing in and strengthening the communities we serve.”

Gay said the courts’ location in the heart of the city is one of their greatest advantages. In addition to being centrally located, he said there is ample space for players.

“This is just another thing that we want to make sure that we offer the public. It’s free of charge for people to come over and use and all of that good stuff,” Gay said. “We love seeing the amount of people that are in the area down here, between the park area, the rec center, the Unified building, the football stadium and the school being right here. It’s a really busy place, and we’re thrilled to have this addition in the community.”