Ephrata moves forward on grant for event structure at sports complex
The City of Ephrata has submitted an application for a $300,000 Recreation and Conservation Office Youth Athletic Facilities grant. The grant, if approved, would fund half of the fabric-covered event structure planned for the Ephrata Sports Complex. The other half of the funding will come from the Paul Lauzier Foundation.
COURTESY PHOTO/CITY OF EPHRATA
EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council authorized a new push to expand the city’s growing sports complex, approving an application for a $300,000 state grant aimed at funding the second phase of improvements.
Council members voted unanimously April 29 to allow staff to submit a Recreation and Conservation Office Youth Athletic Facilities grant. Project engineer and grant writer Dave Bren submitted the application April 30.
The funding would cover half the cost of a $600,000 fabric‑covered event structure planned for the southeast corner of the Ephrata Sports Complex.
The remaining $300,000 would come from a matching commitment by the Paul Lauzier Foundation, which Bren said has been instrumental in advancing the multiyear project.
“We’re trying to be very practical. We’re not building a Taj Mahal,” Bren said. “The Lauzier Foundation is the key in this project rolling. Without them, this project would not be happening.”
A multiuse covered facility
Phase two centers on installing a 300‑foot‑by‑72‑foot open‑air fabric sun and rain cover over the new concrete event pad now under construction. The structure would use a cost-efficient truss system similar to agricultural hay barn covers, with a 20‑year fabric warranty.
Under the cover, the city plans to install six pickleball courts and a combination futsal and basketball court system. The pickleball nets will be removable, allowing the full pad to convert into a flexible event space.
Phase one in progress
Phase one – which includes the concrete pad, asphalt parking lot and structural piers for the future cover – is underway and expected to be visible to the public by June.
Bren said crews have moved quickly, with major grading and pad work completed in recent days.
Even without the grant, the pickleball courts will open this year, though without shade or rain protection.
What’s next
The city expects to learn this summer or fall whether the project ranks high enough for funding. If awarded, construction of the covered facility would likely occur in 2027 or 2028, depending on state timelines.
If the grant is denied, Bren said the city will continue pursuing other funding sources.
“If you don’t succeed, try again,” he said. “All the grant money you bring into your community has so many positive impacts.”
The full grant package, concept drawings and project schedule are available on the city’s website under its grant planning section.