CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Yoctangee Park’s four tennis courts are getting a complete resurfacing, and six new dedicated pickleball courts will be built alongside them as part of an ongoing overhaul of the city park, according to the City of Chillicothe.
Two of the resurfaced tennis courts will also be striped for pickleball, giving players additional space to use for the sport, the city said in a Facebook post. The six new courts will be dedicated solely to pickleball — a first for the park — and will include a cushioned athletic playing surface, perimeter fencing and a shaded gathering area for players and spectators.
The tennis and pickleball court upgrades are part of a larger renovation of Yoctangee Park funded through the state’s Appalachian Community Grant Program. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik visited Chillicothe in 2024 to announce a $35 million award to the city for renovations and new construction throughout and surrounding the park, according to the city. That funding is also paying for a destination amphitheater, a restoration and expansion of the Chillicothe Armory into a welcome center, a permanent home for the Chillicothe Farmer’s Market, and upgrades to gateways and streets surrounding the park.
Yoctangee Park sits adjacent to Chillicothe’s Historic First Capital District and is already home to the Pump House Center for the Arts, a restored 1882 municipal water plant. The park also includes softball and baseball fields, basketball courts, shelter houses, a handicap-accessible playground, bike path access, fishing access and a disc golf course, according to the city.
City officials said work on the courts is underway and asked residents to watch for updates as construction continues.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the City of Chillicothe.
