Picklemall exec opens up about abrupt closing of 16-court facility in Tempe

Less than a year after opening in the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, a pickleball concept is closing its doors and the company will cease to operate.

Picklemall, an indoor pickleball court operator, will close its 104,000-square-foot operation in the former At Home space at the Tempe mall by the end of the month, as first reported by Axios.

In May, Picklemall was served a notice of early lease termination by the mall’s owner, Simon Property Group (NYSE: SPG), “without explanation,” Ben Worley, the head of operations and programming at Picklemall, confirmed to the Business Journal.

“It became evident that there was no intention to negotiate, and the space was needed to accommodate a new tenant,” Worley said. “With the sudden and swift nature of this decision, we were only offered a last-minute alternative of utilizing outdoor space in the parking lot.”

Simon did not immediately respond to the Business Journal’s inquiry about the lease termination. Worley said the new tenant is going to be a “thrift clothing store.”

This story is posted in partnership with Phoenix Business Journal. Click to read the full story.