Pickleball and entertainment facility expected to bring crowds to Vistula District

Walking by a construction site on Water Street in Toledo’s historic Vistula District near downtown, it’s hard not to notice a colorful mural on the downtown-facing wall of a hangar-like building.

The 140-foot-long, 25-foot-tall art piece with a side view of the Maumee River is a harbinger of a soon-to-be-unveiled $4-million pickleball and entertainment center projected by the owners to bring in at least 400,000 visitors annually.

“The big thing was the energy,” Dean Davis, the Toledo artist who created the mural, said about the idea behind the art piece. “I wanted to show, like, this momentum of energy in it. But I also wanted to capture an element of the Vistula District in it.”

Mr. Davis spoke Tuesday on the sidelines during a preview of the ongoing construction of a Toledo Pickle LLC pickleball and entertainment facility.

The energy he spoke of is what will take place on the projected nine indoor pickleball courts, the central element of the 40,000-square-foot two-story facility under construction at 1030 Water St. The site is the former truck base of the then-city Division of Streets, Bridges, and Harbor.

The facility will cater to pickleball enthusiasts of all skill levels, complete with professional-style courts for recreational players and competitive athletes, company officials said.

“We are hoping to open by December 18,” said Mike Gibbons, a partner at Toledo Pickle LLC. “We’re waiting on an electrical component, and that’s been delayed a couple times, so we hope to have that here by the end of next week, and that’ll be telling us whether or not we’re going to make that timetable.”

The pickleball courts will have a Pro-Cushion surface designed to enhance gameplay by reducing the impact on players’ bodies.

“We are thrilled to share the progress of Toledo Pickle and its role in revitalizing this ... part of Toledo,” said Brian Epstein, the company’s managing member. “Our vision is to create a space where the community can gather, play, and enjoy year-round activities, while contributing to the growing appeal of the Glass City Riverwalk.”

Along with pickleball, featured activities will include rock-wall climbing, cornhole, and shuffleboard.

There will also be 16 large-screen televisions, a concert stage, a restaurant, a bar, a 300-foot patio overlooking the river, and a children’s activities center with arcade games.

The long-vacant Water Street building was donated to Metroparks Toledo, a project partner, by the city, which continues to own the land, event organizers said.

Without Metroparks, the project wouldn’t be possible, Toledo Pickle representatives emphasized Tuesday.

“We have a really good private-public partnership with Metroparks,” Mr. Gibbons said. “They’re doing their Metroparks walkway around the building, eventually tying it in with the Craig Street Bridge. ... It’ll tie the whole downtown together when they’re done with it.”