The roof is being raised at the Okanagan Wealth Advisors Pickleball Complex in Vernon and once complete, it will be the country’s largest dedicated Pickleball complex.
The $1.4 million enclosure was financed primarily through the Vernon Pickleball Association’s membership, committing around $1.2 million of the total costs.
The newly closed facility will attract players from across British Columbia and Canada. The association said not only will the centre accommodate the sport’s growing numbers but will be a prime destination for future tournaments.
The structure at Marshall Field will have 39,000 square feet of fabric and 56 tonnes of steel in its frame. At its peak, the structure will stand 55-feet high.
It took 1,500 man-hours to fabricate the steel trusses, cross pieces and bracing wire and 10 semi-trailer loads were required to bring the materials to the site.
Over the past week, six of the 12 roof trusses have been erected and Rennie Equipment Inc. expects the outer shell will be complete by year’s end.
“This leaves the interior work which will use mostly member volunteer labour to complete and is expected to take most of the month of January, so we are now targeting Feb. 1 for the opening to both the membership and public,” said building committee member Myron Hocevar.
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