Indoor pickleball facility, more to replace crumbling Johnson County shopping center

Originally built as a Walmart but most recently home to Goodwill and Hobby Lobby, the rundown strip at 135th Street and Mur Len Road in Olathe has been vacant for five years.

Local officials have widely regarded the old Rosebud Plaza as an eyesore — but help is finally on the way.

Developer David Christie promised the Olathe City Council this month that he would bring new life to the strip with a $26.4 million makeover. His plans include bringing in a new-to-market indoor pickleball facility.

Christie did say the name of the pickleball tenant at the meeting, nor did he respond to The Star’s requests for comment.

“It’s like a tennis club,” Christie told the council at the Sept. 17 meeting. “So it’s gonna be an amazing amenity to y’all’s community.”

Meanwhile, Drew Brees-backed The Picklr indicates on its website that five clubs are on their way to the Kansas City area . The company boasts 275 locations in the U.S., with the intent to grow internationally.

The Picklr also did not respond to The Star’s requests for comment.

Earlier this year, New York-based Crunch Fitness announced that it would move into the dilapidated shopping center, too, which, after its renovation, will become known as the Indian Creek Crossing Retail Center.

The gym, 16630 W. 135th St., appears to be nearing completion, but its opening date was not immediately available Wednesday. Crunch recently opened its first Kansas City area location in Shawnee at 11311 Shawnee Mission Parkway.

Christie said he intended to bring Westlake Ace Hardware to the strip because it will likely lose its spot at 120 N. Clairborne Road thanks to the Interstate 35 and Santa Fe corridor expansion .

He also indicated plans to demolish the old Commerce Bank building on the property and build a QuikTrip.

At the meeting, Christie acknowledged difficulties with the previous owner in New York. The building — constructed in 1984 — now has several code violations.

“After 29 citations, I think the city was running out of postage,” Christie said, eliciting a few chuckles from council members. “We’re just excited about bringing this forward.”

The council unanimously approved the shopping center’s proposal for a Tax Increment Financing District in hopes of raising funds to reimburse the costs of renovation.

“I have the sentiment you have about the difficulty of working with the owner in New York City,” Mayor John Bacon said, reminiscing about the days it was once a “gorgeous” new Walmart. “I’m glad you stepped up and are helping us out.”

Johnson County is a pickleball hot spot.

Last year, Overland Park was named the No. 1 city for pickleball by gambling site Offers.bet.

With courts at several city parks and facilities like Chicken N Pickle and Serv, the area seems to attract pickleball facilities.

This summer, former and current Sporting KC players opened padel courts at the Overland Park Racquet Club.

Padel is a sport that originated in Mexico and is similar to squash, pickleball and tennis.

The soccer players’ business venture, La Casa del Padel, also intends to bring padel courts to 77th and Floyd streets near downtown Overland Park.