The pickleball project will feature 47 courts, including two that will be able to seat more than 1,000 spectators each.
A new pickleball palace planned for South Jordan is set to be a pioneer for the sport, its professional players and even Beehive State amateurs looking for a place to play.
The Utah Pickleball Center, coming to 272 W. 11000 South, will function as the home facility of the Utah Black Diamonds, the state’s Major League Pickleball team.
“When complete, this privately funded, $25 million facility, which will be located on the east side of the city, will be the first dedicated indoor venue for a professional pickleball team anywhere in the United States,” Mayor Dawn Ramsey wrote in a June post on the city’s website. “And it’s being built right here in South Jordan.”
Professional pickleball officials plan to host two top-tier events at the facility each year once it’s built: a major league event for the Black Diamonds to host other teams and a Professional Pickleball Association tournament for singles and doubles players. The Black Diamonds would use the center for gym training and practice.
That setup will be one of a kind in Major League Pickleball, according to Bryce Morgan, chief marketing officer of the United Pickleball Association. The United Pickleball Association oversees both Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association Tour.
The center — which recently went out to bid to contractors — will also be open to amateur players who buy a membership for it. The project is a part of an explosion of pickleball courts in Utah over the past handful of years.
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A draw for top talent?
The three-story facility — totaling 138,000 square feet — is set to feature 47 courts, including 15 outside the building and 13 on its roof, project architect Russ Naylor said. The first floor of the building will have courts with stands for spectators, including one with 2,000 seats and another with 1,000 seats.
“To have a facility like this,” Naylor said, “where we have so many indoor courts that are available for play year-round, it’s pretty unique.”
Architectural plans also call for a gym and spa facilities on-site. Naylor said the building will contain a pro shop and likely some food service. The biggest court is set to include premium box seating, too.
The parcel sits just west of Interstate 15 between car dealerships, a church and other large commercial businesses.
Morgan, the marketing executive, said the center and its amenities may put Utah on the map as a possible home base for pickleball professionals, who are currently concentrated in Texas and Florida. He also indicated the facility could usher in a new era for top-tier pickleball.
“For our sport to grow up and get the notoriety it needs, the fan following, the premium experience from a fan perspective, we need to have facilities like this,” Morgan said. “So, it’s a pioneer for other places and other teams in the MLP or other facilities that are being built across the country for pickleball fanatics.”
Designs for the building include wiring for television cameras, as well, making it easier to host professional events there in the future.
The parking question
The pickleball facility is one part of a development that will also feature an apartment building with 210 units. At a May meeting, Naylor told South Jordan City Council members that two other commercial buildings could come to the site in the future, possibly a salon and a drive-thru restaurant.
Parking for the apartment building and pickleball facility was a hot topic at the meeting, with some council members expressing concerns that the plans did not contain enough stalls to serve both needs.
The apartment building will have a garage included in its seven-story design and residents will be able to use spots on the shared outdoor lot, as well.
“I don’t know about the rest of the council, but this parking has given me a little bit of heartburn,” council member Tamara Zander told project leaders at the meeting. “So, I appreciate your explanation.”
In the end, Zander and the rest of the council voted unanimously to advance the plans for the center and the apartment building.
The pickleball facility remains a ways off as Naylor waits for construction bids to come back the first week of October. He doesn’t expect construction to be complete for at least another 18 months.
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