Bloomington-Normal pickleball players will soon have a new indoor place to play.
The Picklr, a chain of indoor pickleball facilities, says it’s planning to open a franchise in Normal in fall 2024. The nine-court, 30,000-square-foot location will be inside the College Hills Plaza, near Towanda and College avenues. A spokesperson says it will take over the former Gold’s Gym location and the current Proving Ground location. The Proving Ground is relocating to 1701 E. Empire St. in Bloomington; it's likely to close in early March and then reopen in the new location in early May.
The Picklr's courts will have outdoor-style surfacing. There will be a pro shop, private event space, and room for league play, tournaments and open play, according to The Picklr.
“We are thrilled to bring The Picklr’s state-of-the-art pickleball facility to Bloomington-Normal. As a management group that knows and loves the Twin Cities so dearly, and with pickleball quickly becoming one of the most desirable ways to stay active, spend time with others, and enjoy some friendly competition, we wanted to ensure we partnered with the best-in-class option for indoor pickleball,” franchisees Alex Burge and Adam Bell said in a statement.
The Normal location is part of a broader expansion at The Picklr. The company says it’s planning over 150 new locations across 23 states. In Illinois, new locations are planned first in Normal, then Peoria, Champaign-Urbana and the Quad Cities. There are already Picklr locations in Mundelein and Naperville.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing recreational activities in the U.S. The Bloomington and Normal parks and recreation departments have both recently invested in new outdoor pickleball courts.
Pickleball is similar to tennis. It’s played on a smaller, badminton-sized court with the net set to a height of 34 inches. It is played with a perforated plastic ball and composite or wooden paddles about twice the size of ping-pong paddles.
