EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata is moving forward with the first phase of a long‑planned overhaul of the Ephrata Sports Complex, a project that will add six pickleball courts, a combined futsal and basketball court and a new 80‑stall parking lot. 

The first phase of construction is expected to begin in May and continue through July 2026. City Administrator Ray Towry said the project has grown beyond its original concept as community interest – especially from local pickleball players – continued to rise. 

“Pickleball is the fastest‑growing sport in the country,” Towry said. “The facility we have by Columbia Ridge is adequate, but not ideal. We wanted to do something for that group. It’s a lifelong sport, anyone can play it, even into their senior years and we wanted to support that.”

Towry said there will also be space for people to play futsal; a version of soccer played on a small hard court with a small, low-bounce ball.  

“Basketball has been and will be very popular. But there continues to be growth in soccer, and one of the offshoots of soccer is futsal, and you can play that with fewer people, and that's growing in popularity as well. We put all that together, and we want to create a facility that people could use at noon in the middle of July, when it's 110 out, and then continue to utilize it when it's inclement weather.”  

Phase 1 will focus on foundational work, including site grading, drainage improvements, a large concrete pad for the courts, and installation of the paved parking area. The city will also place structural columns needed to support a future roof over the courts. 

“At the end of July, you’ll have the concrete; you’ll have nets to play pickleball, and there will be some kind of striping,” Towry said. “But the fancy, real nice amenities, the finishing touches, that will be phase two, and then the cover… will be phase three.”  

Funding and future phases

The city applied for a Recreation and Conservation Office grant in 2024 but was not selected. Instead, the project is being funded through the city’s Real Estate Excise tax and a $400,000 commitment from the Paul Lauzier Foundation. 

Towry said the city received 15 bids for Phase 1, with the lowest coming in around $150,000 under the engineer’s estimate. The city will be working with Tommer Construction Company of Ephrata who will do the work for around $530,000.  

“We’re super excited the bid came back under what we budgeted,” he said. “There’s some money that we can now move into phase two, and then we can leverage that money for an RCO grant as well.” 

Towry said the city will be applying for another RCO grant and other grants for phase two and three of the project.  

Phase 2 is expected to include specialized court surfacing and permanent striping once the concrete has fully cured, likely in 2027. Phase 3 would add the full cover structure, dependent on funding.  

A long‑term investment

Towry, who previously served as Ephrata’s parks and recreation director for more than a decade, said seeing the project move forward is especially meaningful. 

“I’m really excited,” he said. “We’ve been able to do more projects in the last two years for Parks and Rec than in my 12 years put together.” 

He said the new facility will give residents a place to play year‑round, even during extreme heat or winter weather. He said it could eventually host regional pickleball tournaments. 

“When you bring people to the park for good reasons, that tends to dissuade people from coming to the parks for bad reasons,” Towry said. “We think it’s just a bonus to get people down there using the facilities.” 

Towry encouraged residents to be patient as the multi‑year project progresses. 

“We don’t have the revenue source to go out and do these things all at once,” he said. “But we’re chipping away at it, doing what we can with the resources we have.”