The whack of pickleball paddles against plastic balls will soon cease echoing through The Picklemall in Tempe as the indoor facility shuts down less than a year after its grand opening. The 104,000-square-foot venue, which was situated in the erstwhile home of a large home goods store at Arizona Mills Mall, has been compelled to quickly clear the premises after an unexpected lease termination by the mall’s owner, Simon Property Group. This surprising turn of events was first broken by Axios.
According to KTAR, Picklemall's head of operations, Ben Worley, revealed the termination was served "without explanation" in May—a move that left them to scramble to find a new venue. Worley candidly shared that "it became evident that there was no intention to negotiate, and the space was needed to accommodate a new tenant."
The sudden closure, detailed on the company's website, will not mark the end of Picklemall's endeavors. As noted in the Phoenix New Times, the team is planning a farewell event and remains hopeful about the future. "It is with profound sadness that we share the news of Picklemall's unexpected closure". "However, this isn't the end, but rather the beginning of an exciting new chapter," the online farewell note reads.
That new chapter will unfold at the Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, where the Picklemall hopes to recreate and even expand on the experience that made their Tempe location a hotspot for pickleball aficionados. This new venue boasts 41 outdoor courts, and plans are being made to add both covered, cooled courts and indoor options. As per Phoenix New Times, the website promises, the vision is to "create a more dynamic and enriching environment," which will undoubtedly aim to serve an even greater number of pickleball players and fans in the East Valley region.
