Northeast Ohio pickleball fanatics rejoice: Cleveland's first permanent indoor pickleball facility officially opened its doors Friday.
With the help of a grant from the City of Cleveland, entrepreneur Rob Euerle converted a long-vacant 1940s-era building into a 10-court indoor pickleball facility.
"Why pickleball? Fastest growing sport in America and I wanted to be on the forefront right in the city of Cleveland," Euerle said. "Let's bring the next fun thing here."
Cleveland Pickleball Center, located at 12400 Crossburn Ave. in the city's West Side neighborhood of Belleaire-Puritas, is the first of its kind in the city.
The paddle sport takes elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong. The Association of Pickleball Professionals says nearly 50 million Americans regularly play the sport.
Councilman Brian Kazy, whose Ward 16 is home to the new sporting facility, lauded Euerle and his team for breathing new life into the once-condemned building. He said the building was once asbestos-riddled.
"This is a great example of taking a dilapidated property and bringing it back into life and re-utilizing it," Kazy said. "Really thinking outside the box. I think it'll be really successful."
The city gave developers $150,000 toward the construction of Cleveland Pickleball Center.
Euerle, who also owns and operates the Parma Armory, said he expects to build ten additional outdoor courts.
Players can rent courts for $14 an hour or buy a membership.
