January 30, 2025
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Indoor pickleball for Bradley?

By Lee Provost
Kankakee Valley Park District transformed some indoor basketball courts into temporary pickleball courts for a holiday game session, in this file photograph. The Bradley village administration has been approached about creating a permanent pickleball courts, potentially within space in the Northfield Square mall.

Kankakee Valley Park District transformed some indoor basketball courts into temporary pickleball courts for a holiday game session, in this file photograph. The Bradley village administration has been approached about creating a permanent pickleball courts, potentially within space in the Northfield Square mall. (Tiffany Blanchette)

BRADLEY — Midwest weather can be fickle. Especially when it comes to pickle … pickleball, that is.

In a quest to stretch pickleball from a four- or five-month sport within the Kankakee County region, the founders of the now 11-month-old Paddle Together Kankakee County Pickleball Club have volleyed the idea of indoor courts.

Needing perhaps a little more than 8,000 square feet of indoor space, the club, which boast membership of 540, are thinking the soon-to-be-purchased Northfield Square mall property could be an ideal location.

Jeff Dexter, a Bradley resident and co-founder of the pickleball club, presented the idea Monday to the Bradley Village Board.

He said the club, which loses about seven months or so of outdoor pickleball play due to cold, excessive heat, rain, snow and wind, said the club is seeking an 8-10 indoor court site.

He would like it to be in Bradley.

In 2023, 13.6 million people played pickleball, which is a 51.8% increase from 2022. Pickleball has grown an astonishing 223% since 2020. The top-playing pickleball age group are those aged 55 and older. The second group are those aged 18-34.

With the Bradley board likely only a week or two from completing the $6.5-million purchase of the entire mall property from Namdar Realty Group of Great Neck, N.Y., the administration has an idea where such a development could be placed.

After the board meeting, Mayor Mike Watson said the fact the village already owns the mall locations which once housed the Carson’s Men’s store and the JCPenney site, the village could open the space for this use.

The discussion is in its infancy. Development costs are unknown.

“People are always looking for places to play,” Dexter said. “This isn’t a fad.”

Dexter said the concept falls in line with Bradley’s development vision revolving around activities such as the youth baseball-softball along St. George Road and the heavily-discussed indoor water park at Northfield Square mall.

Bradley has outdoor pickleball ball courts at the recently renovated Quail Park in east Bradley. Many communities here have developed courts.

But winter weather certainly idles pickleball play.

Dexter is hopeful that by the end of 2025, a development or at least a plan could be in place for indoor courts.

Watson said bringing people to the mall can only help the property and the businesses there.

He said such a development would again be handed off to the recently-created Bradley Economic Development Agency. This group will be charged with managing the mall as well as the 126-acre baseball-softball complex.

“I have no problem with this concept,” Watson said. “I like his [Dexter] drive and enthusiasm. I’m hopeful we can come together on this. There are many vacancies there. This has real possibilities.”

https://daily-journal.com/news/local/bradley_news/indoor-pickleball-for-bradley/article_82527178-dd18-11ef-9c52-db47d31e7f56.html