Sedalia Parks & Recreation has landed a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to help turn its aging Centennial Park pool into a new splash pad and pickleball complex. The award targets a project that has been years in the making on the east side of town, where Centennial Park has served the community since 1971.
According to sedaliademocrat.com, the funding comes from the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Division of State Parks. The old Centennial Pool will be demolished and replaced by the Centennial Park Splash Pad and Pickleball Complex, a project also detailed by KSIS Radio 1050 AM, which reported the grant is formally identified as LWCF Project 29-01813.
The application wasn't a lock. Sedalia was one of 43 communities competing for the money, and only 10 of those applications were forwarded on to the National Park Service for consideration, per the same report from sedaliademocrat.com. Those 43 applicants together requested more than $13.8 million in total funding, according to KSIS Radio.
Who Pushed the Paperwork Through
Credit for landing the grant goes to Assistant Director of Parks John Simmons, who wrote and submitted the winning application, the Sedalia Democrat reports. Simmons said he appreciated the state agencies' recognition and support for investment in Sedalia parks, according to KSIS Radio's account of his remarks.
Sedalia Parks & Recreation Director Amy Epple framed the project as a win for every age group in the city. The splash pad and pickleball complex will create new recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages, Epple said, per the station's report. KSIS Radio also noted Epple said the project will serve the community for years to come.
What's Actually Being Built
Earlier reporting from ksisradio.com pegged the full project cost at $1.5 million, with slightly more than $1 million already allocated before the latest grant award. Plans call for new pickleball courts, a baseball-themed splash pad and new restrooms, with demolition of the old pool happening just ahead of new construction, the outlet reported.
The pickleball piece of the project fits into a longer-running conversation at Sedalia Parks and Recreation. The department's long-range plans have called for pickleball courts at Centennial Park for some time, the station previously reported, reflecting the sport's rising popularity locally. The project is scheduled for completion by October 31, 2028, and will be administered under federal regulations, Missouri Department of Natural Resources requirements and the 2026 LWCF Project Administration Guide, per KSIS Radio.
A Grant Years in the Making
This isn't Sedalia's first swing at this funding. Back in 2024, the parks department submitted a $500,000 matching Missouri Land and Water Conservation grant request for work at Centennial Pool, including a splash pad and pickleball courts, the station reported at the time. Missouri's LWCF program typically requires a 50% local match and provides a minimum of $25,000 in federal funding per project, according to Missouri State Parks.
Sedalia isn't the only mid-Missouri community benefiting from this year's grant cycle. Lee's Summit Parks and Recreation also received a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant of just over $500,000 for park development, according to KCTV5. Missouri opened its 2026 LWCF grant round to cities, counties and public school districts for outdoor recreation projects, according to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Rules That Come With the Money
Accepting LWCF dollars comes with strings attached. Per Missouri State Parks, eligible projects must remain open to the public at reasonable times once completed, and grant recipients must install LWCF project signage, conduct regular inspections and maintain ADA compliance going forward. Those requirements will apply to the rebuilt Centennial Park complex once the splash pad and pickleball courts open to Sedalia residents.
