(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An indoor pickleball facility could be coming to a Vernon Hills shopping center.
Startup company PickleMall Inc. wants to develop a flagship site at the former Toys R Us located at Townline Commons.
“We are building the premier place to play pickleball in the nation,” CEO West Shaw said during the most recent Vernon Hills Village Board meeting. “We want to make this our crème de la crème.”
Plans include 14 or 15 indoor courts, which would be open to the public for drop-in play plus in-person training, video analysis and a pro shop.
Shaw told trustees the 45,000 square-foot space is the perfect location for the ever-growing sport.
“We're seeing 153% growth year over year, and there's no signs of it slowing down,” he said. “There's a huge gap between supply and demand of courts and we're here to really fill that gap.”
Vernon Hills trustees, including Thomas Koch Jr., were already showing support for the proposal. Although they praised it as a “great idea,” the pickleball court isn’t a done deal just yet.
The Village Board still needs to approve a special-use permit to operate a recreational facility in a general business district.
PickleMall Inc. also needs to secure a building use certificate because it’s converting such a large amount of retail space from the shopping center.
A public hearing on the architectural plans is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
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