Massive Plymouth Twp. warehouse set to become pickleball haven
Plymouth Pickleball will be moving its facility from the Plymouth Arts & Recration Complex gym to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse in Plymouth Township.
A vacant 10,000-square-foot Plymouth Township warehouse will soon be transformed into a pickleball palace.
At the June 19 Plymouth Township Planning Commission meeting, owners of two-year-old Plymouth Pickleball’s request for a special land use for 45606 Mast Street was unanimously approved by the commissioners, setting the stage for the arrival of five much-needed indoor pickleball courts for western Wayne County.
Pickleball is widely regarded as the fastest-growing sport in the world; however, its explosive growth has created a scarcity of courts, which are 20 feet by 44 feet and divided by a 34-inch-high net.
Plymouth Pickleball owners Paul and Angel Price; and Calvin and Katie Bushor have been leasing space in the Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex since 2022.
Since its founding, Plymouth Pickleball has attracted close to 2,000 unique players and and over 5,000 player visits, including 501 “learn-to-play” players. Its members’ ages run from 10 to 81 — a reflection of pickleball’s wide-ranging appeal.
Family owned and operated
“We are a family owned and operated pickleball community, currently based in downtown Plymouth,” the owners stated in their summation to the planning commission. “Our club emphasizes fun, health and wellbeing, sportsmanship and most importantly, community.
“We offer an array of programming including ‘learn to play’, leagues, DUPR Ratings, tournaments and open-play sessions for beginners through advanced players. Our ownership team is comprised of multi-sport athletes with backgrounds in education, coaching and executive leadership. We have all called Plymouth Township home for over a decade.
Plymouth Pickleball has partnered with DUPR, pickleball’s official rating system. It will utilize Court Reserve, the most popular digital pickleball scheduling tool on the market, the owners said.
The owners have a history of giving back to the community, having started an annual food and hygiene drive for the Plymouth Canton Community Schools Pantry.
Great use for vacant warehouse
The coming-soon recreation facility is located within the Metro West Industrial Park (between Sheldon and Beck roads).
“While most of the surrounding buildings are light industrial/commercial, we feel confident that this would be a win-win location for Plymouth Pickleball and the neighboring businesses,” the owners stated in their request to the planning commission.
“There is a precedent for sports facilities thriving in industrial parks in Plymouth Township, such as the Ninja’s Edge and Eurostars Gymnastics. Unlike those facilities, our core demographic are not just young people. We offer an activity that benefits the health and well being of folks of all ages.”
Plymouth Pickleball’s initial hours of operation will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The owners expect approximately 20 to 25 players will be utilizing the space at any given time.
The owners emphasized that given the shortage of courts in Plymouth Township, players are forced to drive to surrounding communities (Canton, Northville, Livonia and Ann Arbor, among others) to play.
Ed Wright can be reached at 734-664-4657 or edwright@socialhousenews.com.
