Marlborough pickleball facility proposal has public hearing scheduled for Aug. 19

MARLBOROUGH — A developer is proposing to build a set of indoor pickleball courts at the former Marlboro Airport .

The proposed indoor pickleball center would contain six indoor courts, a practice court, a pro shop and restroom facilities at 119 Airport Blvd., off Farm Road. The center would also include one outdoor court, a picnic area and 74 parking spaces.

The application for a special permit to construct the facility was submitted to the Marlborough City Council on June 20. The council made a motion on July 22 for the issue to be taken up by the Urban Affairs subcommittee, and for the applicants to appear for a public hearing on Aug. 19.

'All ages are playing': Natick Mall will net MetroWest's largest indoor pickleball facility

The developer of the site is listed on the application as Ambidextrous Ventures, based in Concord . Elaine Chin is listed as the manager of the company, with Steve Soares listed as the authorized representative.

Demand for pickleball courts continues to rise

Pickleball is a rapidly expanding racquetball-like game, with industry estimates suggesting there are as many as 40 million players in the United States alone. That has developers scrambling to meet demand for additional playing space.

Bosse Sports announced last year its intent to construct a 21-court indoor facility at the Natick Mall , which is scheduled to open as soon as this fall. Other athletic entities, such as LifeTime Fitness and the YMCA, have added pickleball courts to their facilities in hopes of luring players there.

'Easier to just build ourselves': Industrial building at former Marlboro Airport property is sold

Marlboro Airport was at one point the oldest running commercial airport in the state, operating from 1922 until 2018. At that point the property was sold for $2.25 million to Southborough-based Capital Group Properties , which has converted it to an industrial park with buildings ranging in size from 5,000 to 20,000 square feet.

The property listed in the application with the city is for lot number #11, a 20,000 square foot facility on the airport property.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Marlborough pickleball facility proposal has public hearing scheduled for Aug. 19