WIND GAP, Pa. - Pickleball lovers of all ages and skill levels will soon have a new expansive facility to frequent in Northampton County.
Horizons Sports Pickleball, offering state-of-the-art pickleball courts for open play, leagues, lessons and more, is set to open this spring at 61 W. Second St. in Wind Gap, owner Dominic Sumpolec told 69 News on Monday.
"We're hoping to be open in the first week or week and a half of April," Sumpolec added.
The new 50,000-square-foot facility is an extension of Sumpolec's Horizon Sports Group, a business providing construction of indoor and outdoor athletic facilities.
It's the first of several regional Horizon Sports Pickleball facilities that are in the works, with Sumpolec planning to open additional locations in Scranton and other nearby areas.
"I actually own a business that builds pickleball and tennis courts," Sumpolec said. "We build a lot of courts for franchisees of other companies, but this is our first one."
The new Wind Gap facility will feature 13 pickleball courts, Sumpolec said.
It will offer a variety of annual membership options, including packages for seniors, juniors and families, along with walk-in rates.
"We're going to be a little different than other facilities out there," Sumpolec said.
"A lot of facilities only serve members, but we're also going to be open to the general public. So, there will be very affordable, annual memberships that you'd pay monthly as well as walk-in rates where you could reserve a court by the hour. We want to be open to everyone."
Sumpolec, who resides in New Tripoli, is excited to satisfy a growing demand for pickleball in the Lehigh Valley.
He's heard from several Slate Belt residents who are excited to have a new pickleball facility close to home.
"I just got a call from a guy in Bangor who saw our billboard," Sumpolec said. "So, there's a lot of excitement in the area, which is very exciting."
The Wind Gap location of Horizon Sports Pickleball will open in advance of another Lehigh Valley pickleball facility that was announced last month.
A location of Pickleball Kingdom, a chain of indoor pickleball facilities, is coming soon to 2180 MacArthur Road in Whitehall Township.
The state-of-the-art facility, which will span 55,000 square feet and feature 14 professional-grade indoor courts, is expected to open in October in the Whitehall Square shopping center.
For the latest Horizons Sports Pickleball updates, follow the business' Facebook page.