MIDDLETOWN — Construction is beginning on a $15 million, 100,000-square-foot-plus indoor pickleball facility, the largest by far in Connecticut and beyond, according to Pickleball Park President and General Manager Rob Keefrider.
The business, at 100 Centerpoint Drive, will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days year, he said. It is expected to open in July 2026.
The facility will be outfitted with 21 courts: 18 indoor pickleball, and two indoor padel courts, both of which will be climate-controlled; and one outdoor, illuminated court on a patio, he said. A stadium court mezzanine and bleacher viewing area are also planned.
There will also be five outdoor courts designated for seasonal play, and eight, open air-equipped courts with overhead doors to bring in fresh air.
America’s fastest growing sport, a racquet sport played on courts smaller than tennis with paddles and hollow plastic balls with holes, is popular in Connecticut parks. It's grown so popular that the demand for indoor courts open year-round has generated a new pickleball economy.
Keefrider expects to mainly draw players from within a 25-mile radius due to its location at the junction of Route 9 and I-91 and proximity to Cromwell, Berlin, Rocky Hill among other towns.
There will also be a children's club, yet-unnamed restaurant serving fast, casual food; basketball courts, a fitness center, weight room, group classes, athletic field space, yard and arcade games, and office, meeting, party and event rooms for members and visitors.
Rounding out offerings are a yard, and arcade games, and office, meeting, party and event rooms.
“Our training programs are going to be top-notch for pickleball,” he added. It’ll be a place to “meet, work, train, play and connect.”
Earlier this week, the Economic Development Committee approved a eight-year, tax agreement.
The company will pay taxes on the land while the facility is under construction, he said. A deferred assessment was approved for two years, then taxes will increase in years three to six.
Pickleball Park will make an incremental investment of about $11.4 million in real and personal property, he added.
The company surveyed the local and regional landscape and reviewed many business models, Keefrider said. “We are not copying any of them.”
There were an estimated 19.8 million pickleball players in 2024 in the United States, according to Pickleheads.com, which cited figures from the 2025 SFIA Topline Participation Report. This represents a 45.8% increase from 2023, it said.
It’s popularity has grown 311% over the last three years, according to the SFIA, and the average player age is lowering. The 25 to 34 age group now has the most pickleball players (2.3 million), and 1 million more children started playing the sport.
The average pickleball player is 35 years old.
The size and scale of the club enables better open play, he explained. “We will have more courts and can better match people based on pace of play, skill level and temperament."
"Face it, it isn’t as much fun when you play against someone at a totally different skill level and crush them,” Keefrider said. “Worse yet, is holding back. We want to ensure maximum enjoyment at our club."
June 12, 2025
Reporter
Cassandra Day is an assistant managing editor with the Middletown Press. She is an award-winning multimedia journalist and resident of the North End of Middletown who has been reporting nearly every facet of the city for over two decades.