City residents enjoying a game of pickleball. Thanks to grant funding from the RC Smith Foundation and the Fred and Estelle Mirabito Foundation, the City of Norwich will be adding up to six pickleball courts at the Borden Avenue Skate Park. (Photo by Morgan Golliver)

NORWICH — The City of Norwich Common Council voted last week to approve the addition of pickleball courts at the Borden Avenue Skate Park, located at 35 Borden Avenue in Norwich.

City of Norwich Youth Bureau Director Anthony Testani said the park will still be used as an ice skating rink during the winter months, but the addition of pickleball courts will open up a new use for the facility during the summer.

"We use the ice rink in the winter, and in the summer we'll use it as a pickleball court," he said. "It’s not really used much in the summertime. We’re hoping it’ll be a multi-use facility now."

He said the skate park's asphalt is in bad shape, so it will first need to be resurfaced before courts can be painted on. The city has already contracted with a company to complete the resurfacing, and once that's complete pickleball courts can be added. Testani said the location has room to fit up to six courts.