Macon serves up indoor pickleball, displaying health, economic impact of popular sport

MACON — In a sort of “When life gives you pickles, make pickleball courts” moment, the repurposing of part of the Macon Mall is providing indoor playing facilities inside a former department store for the fastest-growing U.S. sport.

The development also includes moving some government offices to the mall and is already bringing economic benefits and helping people stay active.

The city of Albany and Dougherty County have been working for a number of years to make a pickleball facility a reality, and those plans are still in development.

Pickleball is a sport enjoyed by the young as well as the old, who may find it less demanding on aging joints and less intense physically. And according to the Sports & Fitness Association, participation has increased by 202% over a three-year period.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, tennis and pickleball picked up because it was an outdoor activity that allowed for keeping a good distance between players.

The trend is still red hot, particularly in Macon, said Gary Wheat, President and CEO of Visit Macon.

“We just kind of had a strong group of people who were playing and just fell in love with it,” he said. “We’re a huge tennis destination, (with) two large complexes.”

The indoor pickleball facility opened in late November and already has been an economic driver. Located in the former Belk building at the mall on the western side of the city near I-475, the facility has 16 courts each on the first and second floors.

The 32 new courts pushed the total in the city to 71.

An inaugural tournament held since the opening drew more than 650 participants, Wheat said

“For the first tournament a couple of weeks ago, we had people from 12 states,” he said. “The direct revenue we saw off that … that total alone was $350,000 in economic impact, community impact. We’re excited about what that means.”

Shopping malls across the country have seen hard times in recent years, with many having vacant space due to changes in consumer shopping trends and closures.

The Macon project brings back vitality and a new purpose to portions of the Macon Mall, Wheat said. The undertaking was the vision of Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller.

“Like a lot of malls across the country, it’d seen a decline,” Wheat said.

In addition to the pickleball complex, new development at the mall includes creating space for courtroom facilities in the former Sears building, as well as relocating the elections office and other government offices.

The indoor pickleball facility will be a boon allowing for play even during inclement weather that will be great for tournaments but also benefit city residents, Wheat said.

“We just had some high demand, not only for tournaments but local demand,” he said. “It’s become a very popular sport, just in what we’ve seen over the last few years. It’s expanded in Macon.”

Among the enthusiasts is Wheat himself.

“I’d never played,” he said. “I got into it and really enjoyed it.”

Albany Mayor Bo Dorough was excited to hear a recent story on NPR about what’s going on in Macon and said that the excitement about the sport is not limited to that city. Two summer tournaments in Thomasville were booked a short time after they were announced.

The city and county are moving closer to bringing a facility to Albany after several decades of working in fits and starts, Dorough said. The city has earmarked about $1.25 million toward the effort, and the county has about $1.3 million in sales tax funds that are dedicated to developing tennis and pickleball courts.

Officials with both governments say they hope to make the development happen at Albany State University’s West Campus, which will require approval by the university and Georgia Board of Regents because it will require new construction on a state campus, the mayor said.

“The money has been committed to the project with the understanding the city will be in charge of management,” he said. “It’s a popular sport. We just need to meet the demand. I think everybody’s more cognizant today of the need to maintain good health.”

Special Photo: Matt Odin