Caddo Parish is planning to sell $10 million bonds in December to fund the Pickleball Park to be located on the grounds of the Forbing YMCA. If all goes according to Hoyle, the park could be open by the summer of 2027 just in time for high 90 heat index temperatures.
There are two key cogs in the pickleball park gears.
The first is a long-term ground lease with the YMCA. To date, the only talk is about a low rental rate with no estimates of that amount nor the term of the lease or any renewal options. Seemingly the Caddo Commissioners will want the lease to be executed BEFORE the bonds are sold. Although many believe the YMCA to be the benevolent father, good business practices dicated this critical component of the package be accomplished before December.
Secondly the management agreement between the YMCA and Caddo Parish has yet to be negotiated. The press/media postings prior to the Commission votes of approval had conflicting information on what duties the YMCA and the Parish would have in the management agreement. Again, good business practices dictate the execution of this agreement BEFORE the bond sale.
Whether or not the Commission must approve both of these critical contracts is unknown. There was some talk about this requirement at a Commission meeting(s) although the Caddo Administration did not openly agree that Commission approval was a prerequisite for the execution of these contracts.
How this all shakes out--the lease and management agreement and any required approval by the Commission--is an open question.
