Roosevelt Island Pickleball Courts Look Ready To Open, But When? RIOC Says Grand Opening For Sportspark Recreational Facility Coming In May And Will Announce An Affordable Fee Structure For All Patrons

It looks like the Roosevelt Island Pickleball Courts outside the Sportspark recreational facility are about ready to open.

As I walked by the former Sportspark basketball court site today, I noticed the Pickleball netting had been put in place

as well as Pickleball Court General Rules And Regulation signage installed.

But when will the Sportspark recreational facility finally re-open?

As reported last March 9:

On February 23, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) announced huge increases in membership user fees for the Sportspark recreational facility which has been undergoing a purported $12 million renovation, was closed since September 2021 and incurred delay upon delay for its scheduled re-opening.

... Roosevelt Island residents began a petition to protest RIOC's new Sportspark fee structure with the support of local elected officials including Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright who said:

...The new Sportspark rates revealed yesterday by a 400% increase in a press release and without community input are shocking and unacceptable. I am calling on our Governor Hochul to intervene in the rate hikes pricing people out of Roosevelt Island. From parking to the pool, these hikes add insult to injury at an already consequential time for people’s pocketbooks.

Roosevelt Island residents were outraged that RIOC's new Sportspark pricing structure was more in line with a privately owned Equinox Gym than an affordable community recreational center.

Today, RIOC announced via Twitter and Instagram that they are suspending until further notice the price increases for Sportspark....

During the April 3 RIOC Board Of Directors President's Report, Shelton Haynes reported:

... We are planning a Grand Opening for Sportsark next month with the ribbon cutting. The building has now passed all inspections possible. 

We are also going to be going out with a new fee structure that is very affordable for all patrons and that will be announced in another week or so. Again we thank you for hearing your voices. The goal is to make sure this facility is very affordable for all....

More than a couple of weeks have passed since the April 3 RIOC Board meeting with no further word on the Sportspark opening or fee structure.

UPDATE 4/27 - According to a spokesperson for Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright:

Concerning Sportspark rates – RIOC will be making an announcement within the next week.