May 2025
Pickleball courts: The latest retail space conversion
According to Facts and Highlights from the January 2025 USA Pickleball's Annual Growth report, the sport continues to grow, with a strong membership base of 62,260. More courts will need to be added to meet the growing demand, and one type of location is prime for conversion: closed brick-and-mortar retail spaces.
From retail to rebound
The rise of e-commerce has reshaped the retail landscape, and stores that couldn't adapt were left behind. With so many vacancies, commercial real estate owners will need to be creative to fill them.
Luckily, pickleball courts are the unlikely but ideal conversion for these spaces. Big-box stores with thousands of empty square feet are just the right size for pickleball chains looking for 40,000-50,000 square feet of space with high ceilings, ample parking and centrally located, according to the March 2025 Daily Herald article, "How pickleball is revitalizing vacant big-box spaces across suburbs."
While there are outdoor pickleball spaces, they can prove disruptive to residential neighborhoods. Indoor courts, like converted retail spaces, provide players with convenient courts near home and can bring more foot traffic to shopping centers.
Not done yet
The continued growth of the pickleball community will require even more courts this year and beyond. According to a March press release by Sports & Fitness Industry Association, its 2024 State of Pickleball: Participation and Infrastructure Report found that every region in the U.S. added pickleball courts last year. However, these additions are still not enough to offset the sport's growth. Commercial real estate owners and investors looking to turn retail spaces into adaptive reuse locations should take note.
