October 24, 2024
Responding to a growing demand for more pickleball space, a demand that is particularly noteworthy in Arizona, a company prominent in the game has announced plans to build a massive new facility.
The Scottsdale-based Pure Pickleball and Padel says the new indoor facility will go up off the Arizona State Route 101 Loop and East Via de Ventura and will include nearly 50 individual courts.
The project is being advertised as the largest and most expensive facility of its kind in the world and will additionally include exclusive guest rooms, pro shop, restaurant, and rooftop bar, among other amenities.
In addition, notes the Phoenix Business Journal, the new facility will feature a “championship court that could hold up to 1,200 spectators.”
Altogether, the facility will comprise nearly 190,000 square feet of building space, with some of that space being given over to professional matches and youth clinics.
In an online statement, Kevin J. Berk, co-founder of the company, said the new facility is envisioned as a “combination of state-of-the art and a social atmosphere.”
To say that pickleball has become popular is to greatly understate the almost frenzied enthusiasm it has generated across the country, but particularly in Arizona. According to industry figures, the sport has seen a 65% increase in players in the last seven years.
Work is expected to begin on the project sometime next year, with an anticipated completion date in late 2026.
By Garry Boulard
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay
