ORANGE CITY, Fla. — A group of concerned residents in Orange City are coming together hoping to save the Historic Shuffleboard Complex, after the city has considered plans that might involve relocating the facility to a different area to build a parking lot.

The Orange City Shuffleboard Club was established in 1944 and it celebrated its 80th anniversary in early February, but a sign on the facility that says it’s permanently closed.

City Manager Dale Arrington says between 2017 and 2019, they noticed a decrease in popularity of the shuffleboard court, and then the pandemic kept people away. 

“During that time, the shuffleboard court sat empty, except for occasional use,” he said.

The city council prepared a new Parks and Recreation Master Plan that included relocating shuffleboard facilities to Valentine Park to build an employee parking lot in its current place. 

“We have a big need for additional parking spaces,” said Arrington. “This is the center of city government. And in this area, we have a police station. We have a fire station, and we have the senior citizen services center at a hall located at the end of our current parking lot.”

But when the city council went to the historic preservation board in November 2023 to see if they could demolish it, the board said they could not. Because since 2004, the Orange City Historic District has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places with the shuffleboard complex included and noted as a “sport complex.”

Since then Thomas Eidel, who serves on the city’s Historic Preservation Board, says they have collected over 200 signatures on a petition to keep the shuffleboard as it is.

“We have spoken to every person in the neighborhood opposed to the report that was sent out on the internet for three weeks asking for input. But the consensus is probably about 98% to keep some type of recreation here. No one wants a parking lot,” Eidel said.

Arrington says in 2021 the city went to install hand dryers in the restrooms and could not do so because of the problems with the electric connections. They asked building officials to take a look at it, and it has been closed since then.

“We don’t know what will become of it at this point. It seems that since the city council asked the question, there’s been a big resurgence and shuffleboard interest by people in our city,” Arrington said.

Eidel says he would like to see the city maintain this facility for the use of everyone in the community.

“It should be opened up. I think most people with children and most people that live around this area would prefer some type of pickleball here,” Eidel said.

But now the future of the shuffleboard complex is in the hands of the city council.

“We are at a crossroads,” said Arrington. “The historic preservation board said no, you may not demolish yet. The city had 30 days in which to appeal their decision, and we missed that deadline. So, we’re going back to council to find out what they would like to do.”

The city council will discuss the future of the shuffleboard complex at their next meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 27.