Pickleball regulars at McBean Park are about to get sidelined so the city can chase long-term energy savings. Lincoln will close the park’s pickleball courts starting March 16 so crews can install a shaded solar-panel canopy, a key piece of a broader energy project city leaders say is designed to cut utility bills while adding renewable power.
What's closing and when?
All six outdoor courts at McBean Park will be fenced off beginning March 16, and the city expects the new shaded solar structure to be finished by the end of May. The work is part of a $17.9 million package that officials say will be financed through a lease-purchase arrangement and offset with federal incentives. Lincoln projects about $19.2 million in net savings over 30 years and plans to use Inflation Reduction Act funds to prepay roughly $3.2 million of the financing, according to The Sacramento Bee.
How the city is financing the work
City staff told the council they negotiated a 20-year lease with an initial principal of about $11.7 million that would result in total repayments near $17.9 million and average annual payments of roughly $944,482. The plan bundles SiteLogic work orders with a 10-year operations-and-maintenance contract that covers multiple city facilities. Those financing and contract details were summarized by Citizen Portal.
What players will see
During construction, league matches and drop-in play at McBean will be canceled or shifted to other sites, and recreation staff say they will work with leagues on alternate court assignments. McBean Park is a 24-acre community hub that also includes a pool, stadium and other amenities, so players are being told to keep an eye on the city’s online updates for schedule changes. The latest information will be posted on the City of Lincoln's McBean Park page.
Timeline and next steps
Officials say construction will roll out in stages across various city sites, and any changes to the schedule or contracts will go back to the council for approval. Parks staff plan to keep the public informed through city web pages and other online channels as the canopy work moves ahead. Council summaries note that the project has already led to partial closures of some city parking lots while crews mobilize, per Citizen Portal.
For now, local pickleball players will need to plan around the March 16 shutdown and wait for reopening updates. City officials say the payoff will be cooler, covered courts and long-term energy savings once the solar system is up and running.
