Rochelle Awarded State Grant For Pickleball Courts

ROCHELLE – The City of Rochelle has been selected to receive a $237,000 Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant from the State of Illinois to build six new pickleball courts at Fairways Golf Course. The courts will replace the former tennis courts at the site. The award is part of $55.2 million distributed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources to 100 communities for local park development projects. The OSLAD program is a cost sharing effort between state and local governments created in 1986 to support park land acquisition and development, with more than $640 million awarded statewide since its creation. Construction in Rochelle is expected to begin in the spring and finish in the fall of 2026 and will include courts, fencing, lighting, a shade structure, and parking lot entrance updates, with matching funds provided through the city hotel motel tax fund. Planning and grant preparation were handled by city staff in coordination with the Flagg Rochelle Park District.