Proposal at play for ‘PickleMall’ flagship pickleball facility in Vernon Hills
VERNON HILLS, Ill. - An Arizona-based company could be bringing the heat to one Chicago suburb through a proposed flagship facility for its indoor pickleball concept.
By reimagining shuttered malls and big box stores, PickleMall is looking to take pickleball – the fastest-growing sport in the country – to the next level.
If the proposal becomes a reality, the public would be able to download an app, book a court, and play pickleball year-round in a 45,000-square-foot Vernon Hills facility.
On Wednesday, a public hearing to discuss the proposal was held during a Village of Vernon Hills Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
After listening to a presentation on the company’s vision for the facility, the commission gave the green light for zoning changes that would be required for its utilization of the space. Now, PickleMall's plans for the suburban space will move on to the Vernon Hills Board of Trustees for review in the next several weeks.
On the table is a proposal to transform the former Toys R Us in Townline Commons into a high-tech facility that would house 14 pickleball courts.
A project representative shared preliminary floor plans and details during Wednesday’s meeting.
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The concept allows players of any skill level to book playing time and utilize technology, like court cameras, to improve their game.
"Tremendously high demand everywhere, tremendous lack of facilities throughout, and a tremendous lack of quality facilities for quality player engagement. Usually, it's a secondary to a larger sporting facility or a secondary recreation, pickleball is the only thing this facility is about," Marc Schwartz, who was speaking on behalf of PickleMall, said during the hearing. "This is what pickleball players like, they don't want the cookie-cutter health club experience, they want the actual game experience, the professional experience these courts are catering to."
PickleMall debuted its first location in Tempe, Arizona this summer.
According to its website, it is setting an ambitious goal to open 50 PickleMall locations across the nation in the next two years.
PickleMall declined to comment on the proposal to FOX 32 Chicago on Wednesday, with a spokesperson citing that nothing is finalized on the Vernon Hills location yet.