CaliberCos Launches World’s Largest Indoor Pickleball Facility

The explosion of pickleball’s popularity nationwide inspired the world’s largest indoor facility in the Phoenix area.

Scottsdale-based capital investor CaliberCos is financing and developing the 196,700 square-foot, $65 million project. Brett Warner, co-founder and COO of Pure Pickleball and Padel, expects to start construction in the next few months on the sprawling complex in Scottsdale, the Phoenix Business Journal reported.

The joint venture submitted construction documents to the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community earlier this month.

“We have the opportunity to cement Scottsdale and Phoenix as the pickleball capital of the world,” Warner said.

The venue would rise on an 11.4-acre site east of Loop 101 near a Topgolf and the OdySea Aquarium at the CaliberCos-owned Riverwalk at Talking Stick development. The property qualifies for tax incentives because of its location in an opportunity zone.

The sports complex would feature a 1,200-seat arena and 48 indoor pickleball and padel courts, as well as event spaces, a fitness center sponsored by HonorHealth and a restaurant and bar by Wolfgang Puck Catering.

The facility will combine elements of a gym, stadium, convention center and public park, Warner said. He expects the development to attract corporate clients for its event spaces, pickleball fanatics with memberships, families to children’s services offered on site and the general public with free-to-use courts.

Because the proposed development would be on Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community land, Caliber subleases the property where the project would be built. Pure Pickleball co-founders Warner and Kevin Berk wanted to buy a plot of land by taking a sublease with Caliber and paying a lump sum to build it themselves. But Caliber had a better idea.

“I just said, ‘I don’t think we want to sell you this land, I think we want to be your partners,’” Caliber CEO Chris Loeffler told the outlet.

Through the arrangement, investors own part of the real estate as well as a proportionate share of the business.

“The majority of the cash flow of the project goes until the investors get a return of their capital,” Loeffler said. “Worst case scenario, we own a nice piece of real estate in a nice location.”

After a projected three- to six-month review period for the project plans, the developers hope to begin construction and wrap up in 15 months.

— Chris Malone Méndez