Visitors to J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park will notice construction activity taking place as work begins to add new park amenities this week.
Work will include the installation of a concrete slab that will help facilitate the usage of staging equipment for the Mariposa Folk Festival. This concrete slab will also double as three new pickleball courts that can be used throughout the spring and summer months.
“Through our partnership with Mariposa Folk Foundation and through grant funding, the City is able to make these improvements to J.B. Tudhope Memorial Park that will not only provide flex space for festivals and events, such as the Mariposa Folk Foundation who will use the space as a performance area during their annual festival, but will also provide additional outdoor pickleball courts for our community,” said Mayor Steve Clarke.
Construction is anticipated to be complete this December. During construction, park amenities and the trail will remain open.
The festival staging area will be linked to an improved roads system so that event vehicles can access the area for the delivery of the stage along with the required sound and video screen systems, improving the efficiency of setup and teardown of the festival while protecting park amenities.
The festival stage construction project was identified as part of the J.B. Tudhope Memorial Design Plan Update that the City completed in partnership with the Mariposa Folk Foundation to identify several park enhancements. Adding the pickleball courts will provide additional usage of this area for the community.
The project was approved by Council in March 2022 and also includes public Wi-Fi installation at Barnfield Point Recreation Centre. The total project budget is $805,000 with $10,000 in-kind from the Mariposa Folk Foundation and more than $600,000 received in grant funding.
For questions about the pickleball courts and festival stage project, please contact the Manager of Park Planning and Development in the Development Services and Engineering Department at 705-325-2060 or jmcmullen@orillia.ca.