Pickleball continues to be such a popular activity in the U.S., that there is now a dearth of suitable courts available to keep up with the demand. Therefore, there has been a trend of vacant indoor mall spaces being leased to pickleball-related entities in order to create top-notch climate-controlled courts for year-round play. In May, a New Jersey pickleball club management company, called ProShot Pickleball, opened an eight-court facility in a 22,000-s.f. former Burlington at the Harbor Square regional mall in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. In June, another company, Pickleball America, opened a two-level, 28-court pickleball facility in an 80,000-s.f. former Saks OFF 5th space in the Stamford Town Center regional mall in Stamford, Conn.
Perhaps the most notable company embarking on this pickleball-in-vacant-mall-space trend is the Texas-based Picklemall, which hopes to open as many as 50 of its namesake facilities over the next two years in the top MSAs. Its first Picklemall location, with 24 courts, will be opening this month in a former 104,000-s.f. At Home at the Arizona Mills mall in Tempe, Ariz. Upcoming cities expecting Picklemalls in the near future include Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Bentonville, Ark., Madison, Wis., Tulsa, Okla., and Oklahoma City. Second-generation spaces in both regional shopping centers and strip malls are being targeted for these facilities.
The pickleball-in-mall concept is expected to rejuvenate foot traffic in shopping centers, as the activity appeals to all age groups and demographics. These pickleball venues are also anticipated to jump-start new tenancy trends in malls, as fans of the sport are also interested in wellness, entertainment and dining.
