Downtown basketball, pickleball courts on the way

The Shelton Centennial Lions Club will break ground for its basketball and pickleball courts at 11 a.m. Monday in the Shelton Civic Center parking lot.

Work is scheduled to begin the next day, and the project is expected to take 40 days, said Kathy McDowell, a member of the group and a Shelton City Council member.

"It's been a long process," she said.

Such a facility was recommended in the city's Downtown Visioning Plan in 2015.

"The court was in those plans, somewhere in town," McDowell said.

The club was in the midst of planning the courts when the pandemic hit in March 2020.

The project has required "patience, patience, patience," McDowell said. "It's been a great experience because it's been totally positive."

The club raised about $7,000 through a GoFundMe campaign. The city is performing all the construction. Basketballs will be available at the Shelton Police station.

The Shelton Centennial Lions Club will schedule a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, McDowell said.