Coming to Gradin Sports Park, pickleball, dog parks and more

The City is excited to announce upgrades are underway at Gradin Community Sports Park.

Recently, Gresham received a $467,950 grant from the State of Oregon’s Local Government Grant Program. These funds will be used to build an amenity plaza during the sports park's Phase II development. The amenity plaza will include: 

• Dog park with dedicated spaces for large and small dogs.
• Pickleball courts.
• Basketball courts.
• Restrooms in the underdeveloped area south of the existing soccer fields.

Construction is expected to begin in summer 2024.

“Pickleball courts and dog parks have been the two most requested park amenities throughout our community engagement efforts over the past couple of years,” said Joe Walsh, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships. “By adding these amenities, we’re excited to extend Gradin Sports Park’s useability while serving a broader range of community members.”

Grant money covers amenity costs

The State of Oregon’s Local Government Grant Program is a competitive process administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Typically, the program awards over $5 million annually to qualified projects and has awarded more than $60 million in grant funding since the program began in 1999.

• Gresham's latest grant will supplement two earlier grants of $2 million each received from state and federal sources.
• The Gresham City Council also allocated up to $2 million of the City’s remaining American Rescue Plan Act dollars toward improvements at Gradin.
• With these funds, the City is planning to build out sports fields and bring additional amenities to the park.

“I’m grateful for the support of our legislative partners as well as the efforts of City staff who continuously find opportunities to leverage resources in order to meet the needs of our community,” said Gresham City Manager Nina Vetter.

With these improvements, Gradin Sports Park has the potential to become a tournament-quality facility providing Gresham with significant economic development. Beyond the positive economic impacts, the development of Gradin Sports Park will provide the community with a safe high-quality facility for increased recreational opportunities.