Two massive pickleball complexes to open in North Jersey in next year

Two massive pickleball complexes are coming to North Jersey, one in Wayne and another in Englewood.

That’s according to Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate services firm that represented the tenant in negotiations between the pickleball company and landlords.

Pickleball is a racket sport similar to badminton and functions in a 20-by-44-foot court with lower nets than tennis, according to USA Pickleball , the nation’s governing body for the sport.

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The Englewood pickleball location will be 30,000 square feet with 12 separate courts at 62 Route 4 East, and is scheduled to open this fall, Cushman & Wakefield said.

The Wayne location will be 50,000 square feet with 18 dedicated pickleball courts at 77 Willowbrook Boulevard, close to the Willowbrook Mall. It is expected to open between January and March of next year.

They will be the first two pickleball complexes in New Jersey, and will be operated by Sportime Pickleball.

“They’re both in excellent locations,” said Daren Horning, Sportime’s head of real estate. “They’re going to be state-of-the-art buildings with complete locker rooms and lounges, and will enable thousands of players to join and play the fastest growing sport in America.”

The pickleball courts in Wayne will be the latest non-retail offering located at the Willowbrook Mall, as malls aim to redefine themselves as more of an experience than solely a shopping destination .

“This is the place where, ‘Oh, this time I’m going to Willowbrook to go to the Apple store, but then tomorrow I got to go to Willowbrook to pick up groceries at BJ’s, and oh, I’m on my way to work so I’ve got to stop by Willowbrook and fill up my gas, and then Friday night’s date night so we’re going to go to Willowbrook for dinner,’” said the mall’s general manager, Ryan Hidalgo, in an interview last year.

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.

Email: munozd@northjersey.com ; Twitter: @danielmunoz100

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Two massive pickleball complexes to open in North Jersey in next year