Could indoor pickleball courts save a depressed shopping mall near you?

The game, a mixture of tennis, badminton and pingpong, is the fastest-growing sport in America, but it requires a large court and finding space to play has become a problem.

Enter Pickleball America, which is building an 80,000-square-foot pickleball court in what used to be a two-story Saks OFF 5th at the Stamford Town Center in Connecticut.

The group is also looking at transforming other retail spaces in New Hampshire and New Jersey.

The idea seems a perfect marriage for a sport that needs massive spaces and a dying form of retail business replaced by online shopping...

“The mall just needed little bit of a boost, so with the idea of the space, it was a perfect fit,” said Pickleball America co-owner Jay Waldner of the 28-court Stamford facility. Waldner also said pickleball at the mall could annually attract 500,000 players, who could also shop during their visits.

Come play a game of pickleball and then stick around the mall for a bite, entertainment, and then a return to a nearby residence. Shopping may or may not be part of a regular trip.

I assume this new pickleball space is a for-profit enterprise. Do Americans want to pay to play pickleball or would they prefer local park districts pick up the bill for these courts? Is the indoor court enough to entice people to play? Residents may prefer that pickleball noise is contained to an indoor space at a shopping mall.

Which shopping malls could support a large pickleball facility? It is not a surprise to see this attempted in wealthier suburban communities.