Westfair’s Westchester County Business Journal reported in September on a plan to open a franchise of the indoor pickleball court company The Picklr in the building formerly occupied by BuyBuy BABY at 1019 Central Park Ave. in the Town of Greenburgh. The franchise holder now has applied to the Greenburgh Planning Board for approval of the special permit it will need.
The Picklr, headquartered in Kaysville, Utah, currently has about 500 franchisees throughout the U.S. with about 100 locations open. It was started in 2021 with a company-owned location at Unitah, Utah, that was followed by additional company-owned sites. Expanding into franchising has resulted in substantial growth for the company.
A Special Use Permit for a fully enclosed commercial recreation facility is being sought by The Pickleballerz Westchester LLC, which is headquartered in Irvington. The Planning Board began reviewing the application and scheduled a public hearing for its Jan. 7 meeting. It was expecting to be able to hear at that time from town staff about new signage that would go up at the site and also intended to conduct an environmental review.
The proposed facility would encompass approximately 22,000 square feet and contain eight pickleball courts. The Picklr frequently has 10 courts at its sites. In Greenburgh, there would be spaces from which spectators could view the play taking place. The viewing areas will be strategically positioned to allow comfortable viewing of the courts without interfering with play. A reception area would have a small retail space offering pickleball equipment, apparel and related merchandise. A dedicated community room will be available for group meetings, private parties, lessons, clinics, and various other events. Locker and shower facilities will be provided for both male and female patrons. Private treatment rooms are planned to offer services such as sports massage or physical therapy. There also would be administrative and storage spaces.
The site of the proposed facility covers approximately 5.69 acres on the westerly side of Central Park Avenue across the street from the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Inverness Road. A parking and traffic study by DTS Provident Design Engineering found that the pickleball operation would generate less traffic than did BuyBuy BABY and there are more than enough parking spaces available at the site for the intended use.
The Pickleballerz Westchester LLC said that the proposal is not anticipated to adversely impact the character or quality of the surrounding community and will not create a hazard to environmental resources or human health.
According to Jason Bauerle, director of build-out for The Picklr, the business model is built around memberships and reservations for use of the pickleball courts.
“One to four people can reserve and play on a court at a time,” Bauerle said. “Because of this we would have up to four members per court in the facility at a time. We have designed other spaces in the facility to give our patrons a relaxed and comfortable experience.”
Bauerle explained that many members meet with others in their group in a lounge area before playing and then gather afterward to socialize and review the games. He also said that community rooms can be rented out.
“Often, we will have small groups that want to have a team building event, we will reserve the whole facility for them to use; no other customer would be allowed in during this blocked off time,” Bauerle said. “They commonly want to have a space where they will have a quick meeting or presentation; this (community) room will accommodate that experience.”
