FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Basketball players who frequent a South Florida park feel like they’re being run off in favor of wealthy residents of a new luxury development.

The city of Fort Lauderdale is planning to replace the decades-old, beachside basketball courts with pickleball courts, part of a deal with developers for a massive condo and hotel project.

kAm{@42= 32D<6E32== A=2J6CD 92G6 86?6C2E65 2 8C@F?5DH6== @7 DFAA@CE @?=:?6[ 3FE 4:EJ @77:4:2=D 2?5 56G6=@A6CD 92G6 D2:5 E96 492?86D 2C6 A2CE @7 =2C86C :>AC@G6>6?E A=2? 7@C E96 A2C< E92E ?@H :?4=F56D 3F:=5:?8 ?6H 32D<6E32== 4@FCED D6G6C2= 9F?5C65 J2C5D 2H2J]k^Am

k9am&?A=62D2?E DFCAC:D6k^9am

kAm~KK:6 |4#62 D2:5 >@DE A6@A=6 H9@ FD6 E96 32D<6E32== 4@FCED @?=J 7@F?5 @FE 23@FE E96 492?86D E@ u@CE {2F56C52=6 q6249 !2C< 😕 pAC:=] w6 96=A65 @C82?:K6 2 8C@FA 42==65 u@CE {2F56C52=6 q6249 q2==6CD E@ AC6D6CG6 E96 4@FCED[ =@42E65 ;FDE 2 76H 5@K6? DE6AD 7C@> E96 pE=2?E:4 ~462?]k^Am

kAm“(6 D2H 2 D:8? AFE FA E92E D2JD E92E E96C6 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 4@?G6CD:@? 7C@> 2 32D<6E32== 4@FCE E@ 2 A:4<=632== 4@FCE[” |4#62 D2:5] “p?5 E92E C2:D65 2 =@E @7 7=28D[ 2?5 :E H2D 2 G6CJ DFCC62= >@>6?E[ 3642FD6 6G6CJ3@5J E92E’D D66? E92E D:8?[ J@F D66 E92E E96:C 962CE ;FDE 5C@AA65 =:<6 @FE @7 ?@H96C6]”k^Am

kAm|4#62 D2:5 E96 >6DD286 😀 4=62Ci 56G6=@A6CD H2?E E@ 492?86 E96 56>@8C2A9:4D @7 E96 2C62[ 2==@H:?8 4@?5@ C6D:56?ED E@ FD6 E96 AF3=:4 A2C< 24C@DD E96 DEC66E 2D 2 AC:G2E6 4=F3 H96C6 H@C<:?8\4=2DD 2?5 5:G6CD6 A6@A=6 2C6?’E H6=4@>6]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 2 G6CJ >F=E:4F=EFC2= 2E>@DA96C6 @FE 96C6] (6 92G6 A6@A=6 7C@> 2== 286D[ 6G6CJ 6E9?:4:EJ[” |4#62 D2:5] “p?5 :E’D 2 362FE:7F= E9:?8 3642FD6 H6 2== 4@>6 😕 92C>@?J @G6C 96C6] (6 2== A=2J 32D<6E32==]”k^Am

kAm$@>6 25G@42E6D 92G6 =:?<65 E96 @=5 32D<6E32== 4@FCED E@ E96 r:G:= #:89ED |@G6>6?E 2?5 E96 AFD9 E@ 56D68C682E6 E96 362496D] !9@E@8C2A9D D9@H 32D<6E32== 4@FCED @? u@CE {2F56C52=6 36249 😕 E96 `he_D[ 3FE =@42= 9:DE@C:2?D 36=:6G6 E9@D6 4@FCED H6C6 😕 2 5:776C6?E =@42E:@?] %96 4FCC6?E 4@FCED H6C6 =:<6=J :?DE2==65 2E =62DE 2 564256 @C D@ =2E6C]k^Am

k9am|2<:?8 2 562=k^9am

kAmu@CE {2F56C52=6 4:EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 2AAC@G65 2 562= H:E9 56G6=@A6CD 😕 y2?F2CJ a_ac 7@C E96 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 %96 $E] #68:D #6D@CE U2>Aj #6D:56?46D q29:2 |2C] %96 Sa 3:==:@? AC@;64E :?4=F56D 7@FC C6D:56?E:2= E@H6CD 2?5 2 9@E6= E@H6C ?6IE E@ 2? 6I:DE:?8 >2C:?2 @? 4:EJ\@H?65 =2?5 F?56C 2 `__\J62C =62D6]k^Am

kAms6G6=@A6CD 28C665 E@ A2J S` >:==:@? 7@C :>AC@G6>6?ED 2E E96 A2C<[ :?4=F5:?8 C6A=24:?8 H92E E96J 56D4C:365 2D 5:=2A:52E65 2?5 C2C6=J FD65 32D<6E32== 4@FCED H:E9 A:4<=632== 4@FCED]k^Am

kAm%96D6 EJA6D @7 AF3=:4\AC:G2E6 A2CE?6CD9:AD 2C6 ?@E9:?8 ?6H]k^Am

kAm|2C:2 x=496G2[ 2 u=@C:52 x?E6C?2E:@?2= &?:G6CD:EJ AC@76DD@C H:E9 2 7@4FD 😕 AF3=:4 A@=:4J[ D2:5 A2CE?6CD9:AD 36EH66? =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED 2?5 AC:G2E6 4@>A2?:6D 92G6 364@>6 >@C6 4@>>@? @G6C E96 A2DE EH@ 564256D 😕 $@FE9 u=@C:52 2?5 @E96C A=246D 2C@F?5 E96 &]$] H:E9 8C@H:?8 A@AF=2E:@?D 2?5 C2A:5 56G6=@A>6?E] $96 D2:5 E96C6’D ?@E9:?8 :?96C6?E=J 325 23@FE E96D6 28C66>6?ED[ 2?5 8@G6C?>6?ED 42? @7E6? ?68@E:2E6 :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ A2C

kAm“x7 E96D6 A2CE?6CD9:AD E2<6 :?E@ 244@F?E E96 =@42= 4@?E6IE 2?5 6?DFC6 E92E E96 4@>>F?:EJ 36?67:ED 7C@> :E[ E96J 4@F=5 36 2 G2=F6[” x=496G2 D2:5] “x7 E96J 5@?’E E2<6 :?E@ 244@F?E 4@>>F?:EJ A6CDA64E:G6D 2?5 5@?’E E2<6 2 3C@256C =@@< 2E 9@H :E H:== :>A24E G2=F6D 2?5 9@H :E 4@F=5 A@E6?E:2==J :?46?E:G:K6 @C AFD9 @FE =@42= C6D:56?ED[ E96J 4@F=5 36 56EC:>6?E2= E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am

k9am|@G:?8[ ?@E C6>@G:?8k^9am

kAmu@CE {2F56C52=6 r@>>:DD:@?6C $E6G6 v=2DD>2? D2:5 H9:=6 E96 56G6=@A6C 😀 A2J:?8 7@C A2C< :>AC@G6>6?ED[ :E H:== C6>2:? 4:EJ AC@A6CEJ 2?5 2446DD:3=6 E@ E96 AF3=:4]k^Am

kAmv=2DD>2? D2:5 :E H2D 2== A2CE @7 2? 286?52 :E6> E92E A2DD65 F?2?:>@FD=J[ H:E9 ?@ @AA@D:E:@? 7C@> E96 AF3=:4 5FC:?8 E96 >66E:?8]k^Am

kAm(96? 4@>>F?:EJ >6>36CD 3682? C2:D:?8 4@?46C?D 62C=:6C E9:D J62C[ v=2DD>2? D2:5 E96 4:EJ H@C<65 H:E9 56G6=@A6CD E@ A=2? ?6H 32D<6E32== 4@FCED D6G6C2= 9F?5C65 J2C5D 2H2J 2E E96 @E96C 6?5 @7 E96 A2C<]k^Am

kAm“(6’G6 8@E E96 A:4<=632==[ H6’G6 8@E E96 32D<6E32==[ H6’G6 8@E ?6H 7:E?6DD 6BF:A>6?E[ H6’G6 8@E ?6H A:4?:4 E23=6D[ ?6H 8C:==D[” v=2DD>2? D2:5] “$@ H6’C6 ?@E C6>@G:?8 E96 32D<6E32== 4@FCED[ H6’C6 >@G:?8 E96 32D<6E32== 4@FCED]”k^Am

kAmqFE E96 q6249 q2==6CD 92G6 E96:C 5@F3ED[ 4@?46C?65 E92E A=2?D 7@C E96 ?6H 32D<6E32== 4@FCED >:89E 36 232?5@?65 27E6C E96 @=5 4@FCED 2C6 8@?6] %96 8C@FA 😀 2=D@ DFAA@CE:?8 D6A2C2E6 677@CED E@ 7@C>2==J 56D:8?2E6 E96 A2C< 2D 2 9:DE@C:42==J D:8?:7:42?E 2C4926@=@8:42= D:E6] tIA6CED 36=:6G6 E96 A2C< H2D E96 D:E6 @7 2 `hE9 46?EFCJ 7@CE FD65 5FC:?8 E96 $6>:?@=6 (2CD]k^Am

kAm“(6 766= E92E E96C6’D ?@ C62D@? E@ >@G6 E96D6 4@FCED[” |4#62 D2:5] “x7 E96J H2?E E@ 255 D@>6E9:?8[ H96C6G6C E96J E9:?< E96J H2?E E@ C6=@42E6 E96D6 32D<6E32== 4@FCED[ E92E’D H96C6 E96J D9@F=5 C6=@42E6 E96 A:4<=632== 4@FCED]”k^Am

k9am%@@ 72C 2=@?8k^9am

kAms6G6=@A6C y:>>J %2E6 D2:5 96’5 36 92AAJ E@ C6D@=G6 E96 6?E:C6 D:EF2E:@? 3J <66A:?8 E96 32D<6E32== 4@FCED H96C6 E96J 2C6 2?5 AFEE:?8 E96 A:4<=632== 4@FCED 6=D6H96C6] qFE E96J’G6 2=C625J AC6\D@=5 D6G6C2= 5@K6? 4@?5@D 2?5 4C62E65 >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD 😕 >2C<6E:?8 >2E6C:2=D[ :?4=F5:?8 2 8:2?E >@56=[ E92E D9@H A:4<=632== 4@FCED]k^Am

kAm“(6 42?’E 5@ E92E C:89E ?@H[ E96C6’D ;FDE E@@ >F49 @FE E96C6[ 2?5 H6 42?’E 92G6 2?JE9:?8 E92E’D >:DC6AC6D6?E:?8 724ED 7@C 2?J 4@?EC24E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%2E6 C6;64E65 E96 :562 E92E 96’D ECJ:?8 E@ 56?J 36249 2446DD E@ 2?J@?6 32D65 @? C246 @C D@4:@64@?@>:4 DE2EFD] w6 E9:?@C6 E@ 5@ H:E9 2 D>2== 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 @AA@D65 2?J C656G6=@A>6?E 2E E96 q29:2 |2C 7@C J62CD[ 6G6? 56C2:=:?8 2EE6>AED 3J EH@ AC6G:@FD 56G6=@A6CD]k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 E96 724E E92E E96 4:EJ 2?5 56G6=@A6CD 92G6 4@>>:EE65 E@ 3C2?5 ?6H 32D<6E32== 4@FCED 2E E96 D2>6 A2C< AC@G6D E96 @AA@D:E:@? 😀 ?@E C62==J 23@FE E96 4@FCED]k^Am

kAm“w6C6’D E96 :C@?J[ x A=2J65 32D<6E32== >J H9@=6 =:76[Q %2E6 D2:5] “x 5@?VE A=2J A:4<=632==]”k^Am


Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.