October 4, 2023

The Picklr Chooses Fox River Commons In Naperville As Location For New Facility In Chicago

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BALTIMORE, MD (October 4, 2023) – The Picklr, a Utah-based company which intends to open approximately 500 pickleball venues across the country within the next several years, has chosen Fox River Commons in Naperville, Illinois as the site of its first location in the greater Chicago area. The Picklr signed a lease with Continental Realty Corporation (CRC), a Baltimore-based real estate investment and management company, for 27,333 square feet of space within the 241,000 square foot shopping center, with plans to open next year. Cherene Keenan of CRC represented the landlord, and Carter Randall of PPC Commercial represented the tenant in this lease transaction.

Located at 808 S. Route 59 near W. Ogden Avenue (Route 34), Fox River Commons is anchored by family-owned grocery store International Fresh Market, and features a mix of retail stores and restaurants, including Amish Furniture Gallery, Ball Factory, ENTOURAGE, Galleria Lighting, and VAI’s Italian Inspired Kitchen + Bar. Nearly 60,000 vehicles pass the site daily via Route 59, with an additional 36,000 passing via W. Ogden Avenue.

“High traffic uses such as this one drive unique visitors to a shopping center, and provide immediate and long-term benefits to the tenant base,” explained CRC’s Kristina O’Keefe, Vice President, Commercial Division. “We believe that, especially, the restaurants at Fox River Commons will experience increased activity as players look for a high quality and convenient place to eat either prior to or after a pickleball session. We are impressed with The Picklr’s leadership and business model and their commitment to the local community, and are confident about the prospects for their long-term success.”

The Picklr is leveraging the popularity of pickleball and the rapidly growing need for indoor courts to expand nationally with a blend of corporate and franchise-owned facilities. Over the past three years, the group has opened seven facilities in Utah and Colorado, with an additional six under construction that are expected to open in the near future. The Picklr also has franchisee agreements for approximately 80 new locations in 12 states, including Illinois, in its mission to sell up to 100 new franchises and open up to 40 new venues annually.

“Our vertically-integrated operation enables us to design and construct venues at considerably lower costs than our peers, because we purchase materials at bulk, and we pass these savings onto our franchise owners,” explained Austin Wood, who co-founded The Picklr with Jorge Barragan and opened their first location in Utah in 2021. “Every facility features top-of-the-line court surfacing that is engineered not to crack after continued use, the highest-quality netting materials, player-friendly lighting systems that do not interfere with play, and acoustics that dampen the sounds from nearby courts and provide the optimal player experience.”

Wood said that program memberships will allow players to gain access to other Picklr venues across the country with full benefits. “The idea is, that no matter where you happen to be around the country, you can have immediate admission to one of our locations,” Wood said.

Other points of differentiation include technology advances that are integrated into every facility, a player academy which provides advanced coaching and training to players at all levels, and The Picklr’s association with the Minor League Pickleball league.

“While other pickleball groups are leasing space in second or third generation warehouses and are not investing fully in upgrading facilities for this specific use, we are custom-designing each location using proven protocols,” Wood added. “This includes the use of our own app, which provides seamless league registrations, court reservations and lesson sign-ups. The Picklr Academy provides hands-on and next-level training for youngsters and adults, with a focus on shot-specific, drilling and gameplay training,” he said.

Wood said that the company’s relationship with pickleball equipment and apparel manufacturer JOOLA, as well as the company’s ownership of a team in the Minor League Pickleball league, provide additional opportunities to advance its three pillars of operation: connect, play, and socialize.

“Everything we do is geared toward attracting more people to the sport of pickleball, creating situations where players can improve their skills and compete against others, and remaining committed to making the communities where we operate better,” Wood said. “Because of our contacts and associations, players have the opportunity to learn from professionals and play against higher-level competition in semi-pro leagues.”

The Picklr will offer private court reservations, drop-in play, leagues, tournaments, and private lessons instructed by a team of certified professionals. Activities will be separated into men’s, women’s, co-ed, and youth categories in a range of skill levels. Private parties and business-oriented events can also be organized, and approximately 15 employees are expected to work at the facility.

“When selecting new locations, we utilize proprietary data-driven information that analyzes local and regional demographics as well as the competition, and we quickly realized that Fox River Commons satisfied every critical requirement in our search process,” Wood said. “We are intrigued by the current and expected population growth, the strategic location and access to major highways, the site’s roadside visibility and the large parking field. In short, this location provides us every element to assure our long-term success. We expect many more to follow in the greater Chicago area.”

Pickleball was invented in the mid-1960s when several families were searching for a fun activity to entertain their children while on vacation in Bainbridge Island, Washington. The parents began gathering equipment found in a garage including old ping-pong paddles and a wiffle ball and noticed the presence of a nearby badminton court. The sport’s unusual name relates to the collection of items used in its invention, with a specific reference to “the pickle boat” in crew, in which oarsmen are chosen from the “leftovers of other boats.”

According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, participation in pickleball nearly doubled last year and remains the fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row. Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, and Tom Brady are among the current or former athletes who have invested in Major League Pickleball teams.

CRC acquired Fox River Commons last year as part of a portfolio of five shopping centers in the suburban Chicago real estate market comprising more than 900,000 square feet of space. More than 271,000 consumers reside within a five-mile radius of the shopping center, with an average household income approaching $130,000. Ingress and egress are facilitated by five access points, four of which are serviced by traffic signals.

Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland and founded in 1960, Continental Realty Corporation is a full-service commercial real estate and investment company focused on acquiring and operating retail and multifamily properties. The privately held firm owns and manages a diversified portfolio of retail centers consisting of nearly eight million square feet of commercial space and over 9,000 apartment homes across 10 states, with a portfolio value exceeding $3.6 billion. For additional information, visit www.crcrealty.com.