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New spaces include the 14-court
Pickleball Kingdom at 1100
Negron Drive in Hamilton, part of
a development by Denholtz. Kris
Hurlbut, the
fi rm’s senior
vice president
of leasing, said
it had been
having trouble
fi nding industrial
tenants for the
space before
Kris Hurlbut
coming to terms
with the franchise, whose grand
opening was set for February.
Hurlbut admits that Denholtz was
hesitant about the deal.
“I remember the pandemic,” she said.
“We got hit with all of our recreational
tenants, and it was diffi cult.” Yet the
franchisee has had success with other
franchises, and Denholtz was able to
get market rate for the space, so “we
felt very comfortable with him.”
Others say the COVID crisis is the
reason pickleball is catching on.
Schubiger, who lives in Morristown
and Long Beach Island, said the game
is bringing people together after
COVID: “It’s the human connection
that we all desire right now.”
Levin Management Corp. CEO
Matthew Harding said people
started to play it outside during the
pandemic.
“Since then, there’s been tremendous
growth in pickleball,” prompting the
restriping of
existing courts
or addition
of facilities
outdoors. Over
the past year
or two, he said,
franchises have
begun to build
Matthew Harding
pickleball-
specifi c facilities.
Levin Management handled one such
facility, Ace Pickleball Club at 498
Milltown Road in North Brunswick,
which is slated to open by the end
of 2025. Fitness and entertainment
are good additions to retail, and the
pickleball club is “a great draw,”
Harding said.
The Picklr, for its part, was slated to
hold its New Jersey grand opening
on March 15 at 205 Route 72 West
in Manahawkin, replacing what was
a Bed Bath & Beyond at the Kohl’s-
anchored center. The facility had
more than 400 members signed up
before opening, Schubiger said, while
another location, at 18-01 Pollitt Drive
in Fair Lawn, is opening at the end of
March.
Schubiger, a 15-unit franchisee in
addition to chief growth offi cer, was
confi dent that pickleball would be
“the next unicorn in franchising”
when he joined The Picklr in 2023.
He called New Jersey “the most
target-rich environment for pickleball
because it’s highly densely populated
with high household income,” and
“anybody from the ages of eight to 85
that can hold a paddle” can play. The
Picklr expects to open more than 20
locations in the state in the next four
years.
Pickleball facilities can be fl exible
because the courts are smaller than
tennis or basketball courts or indoor
soccer fi elds, Shein said. What they
need most is adequate parking, clear
height and wide column spacing.
Harding said even older industrial
buildings have the necessary height
— at least 20 feet interior — and can
offer lower rents than a shopping
center.
As for retail, shuttered chain stores
can be good candidates for pickleball
clubs. Shein suggested Rite Aid or
CVS, while Schubiger named Bed
Bath & Beyond, Big Lots or Hobby
Lobby buildings. He said The Picklr
does well in power centers like the
Manahawkin location, because people
use the facilities for an hour or two,
providing a regular churn of cars.
“Those types of neighbors love us,”
he said.
The landlords said pickleball doesn’t
require too much work for ownership.
Generally, the tenant handles the
interior buildout, Harding said.
Opinions were mixed on how
pickleball will play in the long term.
Hurlbut isn’t sure all the facilities will
survive, while Harding isn’t worried
about pickleball losing steam. But
then, he also plays. He said, “I think
it’s here to stay.”. RE
Marlaina Cockcroft is a freelance
writer based in New Jersey.
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