A big vacant store space at one Phoenix-area mall is about to get filled with pickleball courts
While many vacant big-box stores in malls have sat empty, one in Tempe is about to get among the largest concentrations of pickleball courts anywhere in the Valley.
Picklemall, a modular, indoor pickleball company, will open its first location in Arizona Mills on Aug. 5, bringing 24 courts to a space that was formerly occupied by At Home, a furniture store.
The tennis-like sport has grown wildly in popularity for those of all ages, and different pickleball concepts have popped up around the Valley and across the country.
"Picklemall is poised for explosive growth, rapidly expanding to various locations,” West Shaw, Picklemall CEO, said in a statement. “Arizona, with its hot temperatures that can drain the city's energy in the summer, presents an exciting opportunity for Picklemall to ignite joy and cultivate friendly competition in a safe, cool, and familiar environment.”
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Patrons will reserve courts and unlock the door to the facility using the Picklemall app, which the Apple App Store and Google Play store will have in the upcoming months, the company said in a news release.
Cameras will record games inside the facility so players can watch back their matches and improve their techniques.
“Our goal is to not only make pickleball accessible to more people, but to actually help them improve their game with the help of experts,” Shaw said in a statement. “We will have a few technological tricks up our sleeves to make that happen, and we’re excited to unveil them to the public.”
Picklemall is backed by financier Steve Kuhn, and plans to open 50 locations nationwide in the next two years.
The concept will focus entirely on reusing vacant space in malls and strip malls, addressing a common issue in large-scale retail space. Changes in shopping habits and closures of mall staples have left glaring vacancies in malls.
Courts at Picklemall will open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. daily and can host leagues, open play, tournaments and drop-in games.
Picklemall is not the only pickleball concept opening this summer in the Valley.
Chicken N Pickle, a pickleball-centric entertainment complex, is opening in Glendale at the Westgate Entertainment District in July. The concept features indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, other yard games, a restaurant and a bar.
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Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @CorinaVanek.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pickleball courts to open this summer in vacant store at Arizona Mills
