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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | NOVEMBER 27, 2023 15 GENERAL CONTRACTING • CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT • DESIGN BUILD PARTNER 21 DEMING ROAD, BERLIN, CT 06037 • (860) 610-1093 • WWW.OLSENCS.COM NEW CONSTRUCTION • TENANT FIT OUT • CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE • HEALTHCARE Plainville residents will be able to take advantage of membership discounts and have priority booking, Jenings said. Membership and event pricing are not yet available. The venue has a targeted opening date of spring 2024. In addition to offering in-demand court space, both facilities plan to be regional destinations for fitness and entertainment. Pickleball America owners plan to offer summer camps, along with space for badminton, basketball, esports and gaming, shuffleboard, corn hole, dance performances, live music, and dedicated spaces for exhi- bitions like car shows, flea markets and large-scale events. Camp Pickleball will also offer open play, pickup games, skill-based sessions, lessons, camps, clinics, tournaments, leagues and social events and parties. Space constraints Finding pickleball-appropriate space was a hurdle for the new ventures, founders said. Pickleball America owners looked at strip malls, empty retail storefronts, and industrial and office space, before they settled on the Stamford mall site, Schipani said. There was very little industrial space on the market, but an abun- dance of office space, yet many office landlords weren't interested in converting their properties, she said. A new build would have been more costly, and the mall site was ideal with infrastructure and parking built in. Pickleball America owners said they invested close to $630,000 to fit out the former Saks OFF 5TH retail store. Schipani said the mall owners were most willing to work with them, and receptive to the idea. Stamford Town Center is owned by Yaraghi Realty, a subsidiary of New York-based home-furnishings company Safavieh. Yaraghi Realty bought the 518,000-square-foot mall in 2020 for $20.1 million, city records show, and has worked to fill vacancies with non-retailers like Pickleball America. Camp Pickleball officials said they searched for six months to find an older building to lease, but ran into structural roadblocks like obstructive support beams and low ceilings, as well as high rents. They found that in order to build the best facility, new construction was the only option. Camp Pickleball will be a clear-span building with no support beams in between courts. Facility owners say their venues will be economic drivers to their host towns, while benefiting from surrounding businesses and recreational sites. A new Pilates studio is opening next door to Pickleball America, and the space will also have a coworking lounge, and is close to area shops and restaurants. "There are no facilities like this in the area," Schipani said. Connect with us today! 860-448-4295 NMLS #402928 We've got the tools you need to help your business fight check fraud! ChelseaGroton.com/PositivePay