Massive indoor pickleball club coming to North Tryon

The Picklr, an indoor pickleball club with locations across the country, will open on North Tryon Street in late December.

Why it matters: The Picklr will be in a redevelopment project that will energize an area just outside of Uptown.

State of play: The Picklr will encompass the entire West building at Foundation Supply in the Lockwood neighborhood, which sits between Optimist Park, NoDa and Camp North End.

• The former business center at 1801 N. Tryon St. has several new tenants, including Inner Peaks , an indoor climbing gym, and The Casey , an event venue.

What to expect: The more than 54,000-square-foot space will include at least 15 pickleball courts, a sound reduction system above the courts, a pro shop, locker rooms and showers, private event areas, a second-story viewing mezzanine, and grab-and-go food and drinks.

• A monthly membership includes unlimited access to courts, leagues and tournaments, plus four clinics a month and four monthly guest passes, and nationwide access to other locations.
• You're expected to bring your own paddle and balls, but they'll have some available.
• Eventually, they'll host professional pickleball events.
• It'll be open from 6am until midnight.

Cost: Membership in Charlotte will be $149 per person, per month. Founding members will pay $119 per month.

• Drop-ins will be $30 and good for the whole day.

Zoom out: Charlotte is on track to have two pickleball eateries by the end of the year: Rally , which opened in 2023, and Tipsy Pickle , which will open at Camp North End.

• The Picklr, however, is "purely pickleball" rather than entertainment, Jay Sartori, WAYMOR Sports co-founder and chief branding officer, tells Axios.

Context: The Picklr, headquartered in Utah, was founded in 2021 and began franchising in March 2023, as CBJ reported . It has attracted franchise owners like former NFL quarterback Drew Brees .

• WAYMOR Sports, based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is The Picklr's largest franchise operator, Sartori says. They currently have two locations open in Minnesota and Illinois.
• They typically repurpose big-box stores, including a former Bed Bath & Beyond and an Office Max, but some of their projects, like Naples and Fort Myers, F.L., are new builds.
• Charlotte's location will be one of the larger ones for the brand.

The big picture: Summer in the South will be particularly busy for The Picklr as people try to escape the heat, Sartori says.

• WAYMOR Sports has 12 locations in design or under construction, including one in Columbia, S.C., which should open in late November.
• They plan to open roughly 60 locations in the Southeast, with three locations in Chicago and another three in Minneapolis.

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