A score for Charlotte's pickleball scene
Plus: A friendly Saturday crossword; Top news of the week — Filing period ends for CMS school board; Tepper offers $82M to resolve claims; Bank of London plans US HQ in Charlotte
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Pickleball Charlotte, the area’s first dedicated indoor pickleball facility, is scheduled to open in south Charlotte at the end of 2022 with 7 courts for full-time play
Kids practice on outdoor pickleball courts at the Granite Street Sports Center in southwest Charlotte. The sports center’s owners, Allen and Kelly Haseley, plan to open a dedicated indoor pickleball facility called Pickleball Charlotte in the Ballantyne area at the end of 2022. (Photo courtesy of Pickleball Charlotte)
by Cristina Bolling
You have to laugh when you consider this headline The Ledger published in January 2020:
Now, not even three years later, the sport has exploded. Tennis clubs have carved up courts to make way for pickleball play, local recreation centers are installing nets and people of all generations are learning the proper way to use terms like “dink” and “kitchen.”
Talk to serious players around the region and they’ll tell you that demand for pickleball courts far exceeds supply. Allan Haseley is trying to change that.
Haseley plans to open a 30,000 s.f. Pickleball Charlotte facility in the Ballantyne area at the end of 2022, next door to the Sports Connection bowling and family entertainment center that he and his wife, Kelly, own. The facility will offer one game — pickleball — and it will have seven indoor courts with more outdoor courts planned in the future.
The Haseleys also own the Granite Street Sports Center, home to the Carolina Juniors Volleyball program in southwest Charlotte, and they currently operate Pickleball Charlotte from that location. Since spring 2019, they’ve offered pickleball on the volleyball courts at Granite Street during times of the day when kids are at school and the volleyball courts are empty. They also offer pickleball at the third facility they own: Northlake Indoor Sports Center, which includes basketball and volleyball courts.
Haseley has grown the Pickleball Charlotte program to include four full-time pickleball instructors, who not only run the pickleball program at the Granite Street volleyball facility but are often hired out to teach pickleball to staff at places like Myers Park Country Club and Olde Providence Racquet Club, Haseley said.
The Carolina Panthers hired Pickleball Charlotte staff to create a pickleball experience at a team party earlier this year, and “Coach Rhule was the last one off the court,” Haseley said, referring to Panthers head coach Matt Rhule.
Haseley’s vision for Pickleball Charlotte in Ballantyne is to make it a place where people can show up seven days a week rain or shine for open play, lessons, or to rent a court for group matches or events. Court rentals will range from $15 to $30 per hour and open play will range from free to $12, depending on whether the players are members and the time of day they want to play.
Memberships will be offered but won’t be required to use the facility, he said.
“Pickleball is exploding and there’s a severe lack of pickleball courts everywhere, because of the growth of the sport,” he said. “We believe that there’s a big demand for more indoor pickleball courts because there are not very many places to play indoors.”
Charlotte resident Dick Osman, who with his wife, Desiré are “pickleball ambassadors” through the USA Pickleball Association, said Pickleball Charlotte is highly anticipated, because it will be the first dedicated indoor pickleball facility of its kind in Mecklenburg County. The Osmans publish a monthly pickleball newsletter called “The Charlotte Dilly News,” which currently has 1,800 people on its distribution list.
Indoor facilities that offer pickleball usually do so in combination with youth sports like volleyball or basketball, so pickleball gets scheduled in during the school days when kids are in classrooms, Dick Osman said.
“People have always said (pickleball) was an old-people’s sport, but that was because only old people were available to play when the facilities were available,” he said.
Mecklenburg County opened an outdoor pickleball facility, the John Stevens Pickleball Center at Clarks Creek Community Park in the northern part of the county in 2019, but there aren’t enough parks that offer pickleball in other parts of the county, Osman said.
Country clubs are quickly growing their player rosters, and a Queen City Pickleball League that started in the fall of 2021 with 13 teams grew to about 30 teams by spring 2021, Osman said.
For those looking to mix pickleball with entertainment, a new business venture also recently announced that it will be opening in Charlotte.
Rally, a “premium pickleball experience,” will open at the corner of Old Pineville Road and Southside Drive in LoSo in early 2023. It’ll mix food and drinks with pickleball. (Think of something along the lines of golf-entertainment hotspots like Top Golf or Puttery.)
Cristina Bolling is managing editor of The Ledger: cristina@cltledger.com
Related Ledger articles:
“Pickleball is the hottest Charlotte sport you’ve never heard of” (January 13, 2020)
“New sports in south Charlotte shopping center” (May 28, 2021)
Today’s supporting sponsors are Topsail Wealth Management, which provides clients with a premier wealth management partnership. With a high-value and low-cost approach, clients minimize costs and keep more of their wealth.
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This week’s Charlotte-themed crossword: Friendly Faces Everywhere
Ledger crosswords are created by Chris King, edited by Tim Whitmire and presented by CXN Advisory. Enjoy!
For more crosswords with local clues, check out our dedicated Charlotte Ledger Crossword page.
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This week in Charlotte: Filing period ends for CMS school board; Tepper offers $82M to resolve claims; Bank of London plans US HQ in Charlotte
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
School board elections: (WFAE) Some 18 candidates filed to run for Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board by the Friday deadline. There are six district seats up for grabs. The candidates include four incumbents and 11 people making their first run. One of the candidates was a school board member from 2006 to 2011.
CMS teacher incentives: (Ledger 🔒) Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is trying some new tactics to hire more teachers as the school year comes closer. There are currently more than 350 vacant teacher positions, and the district is going to offer teachers additional pay for forgoing their planning periods during the school day to cover for classes that need a teacher.
Local news
Tepper offers $82M to resolve Rock Hill claims: (Observer) DT Sports Holding, a company owned by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, offered $82M to resolve creditor claims tied to the failed Carolina Panthers headquarters project in Rock Hill. The $82M would pay back contractors, subcontractors and unsecured creditors in full and would reimburse York County for money it contributed to the project. Tepper’s GT Real Estate was formed to build the Rock Hill project but filed for bankruptcy last month after construction had already started.
Charges dropped: (WSOC) The Gaston County District Attorney’s office has dropped charges against Mark Carver, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2008 death of UNC Charlotte student Ira Yarmolenko. According to a court document obtained by WSOC, the notice of dismissal said “upon retesting and re-examination of the physical evidence, there is no longer sufficient DNA evidence to support the charge.”
State film grants: (Observer) Three film projects in the Charlotte area were awarded the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant, according to a news release from the state Department of Commerce. The Charlotte projects are expected to generate $61M in in-state spending and more than 2,400 jobs alongside two other N.C. film projects. The projects are currently filming and include an untitled “Please Don’t Destroy” project created by a “Saturday Night Live” comedy team, “Site” featuring actor Theo Rossi and a made-for-TV movie called “Second Time Around.”
Business
Bank of London expands to Charlotte: (Biz Journal) Bank of London plans to open an office in uptown Charlotte and hire 350 employees by 2026. The UK-based bank signed an 11-year lease to move into the newly renovated One Independence Center on N. Tryon Street. Bank officials said they chose Charlotte because of the city's reputation in technology and finance.
NASCAR Productions moves to Concord: (Biz Journal) NASCAR will break ground later this month on a new 58,000 s.f. production facility in Concord. NASCAR will relocate 125 employees from its current uptown location to the new Concord location and plans to invest $28.5M in the project, according to city documents. The project is expected to be ready for the 2024 racing season.
Good reads
Cohabitation agreements: (Ledger🔒) With more homebuying-couples delaying or forgoing marriage, legal experts say it’s a good idea to have a cohabitation agreement, which spells out what will happen to a property in the case of a breakup.
New Panthers announcer: (Observer 🔒) Anish Shroff is the new play-by-play radio announcer for the Carolina Panthers. He’s lived in Charlotte since 2011 and has broadcast more than a dozen college football games in the last year, including the Duke’s Mayo Bowl in Charlotte on Dec. 30, 2021. Shroff will still continue his TV job doing play-by-play for college sports on ESPN. Former Panther linebacker Luke Kuechly is also new to the Panther broadcasting team and will be on for seven games this season.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Byron’s South End closing: Popular event venue Byron’s South End will close next spring after 20 years in South End because its lease is not being renewed. The venue is operated by Best Impressions Caterers and company chairman Dave Byron said he’s looking for a space to open another facility similar in size on the outskirts of South End. Best Impressions operates several event venues around the area, and also has a new large event space opening in Camp North End in the spring.
Nonprofit brings aquaponics to schools: 100 Gardens, a Charlotte-based nonprofit, installs aquaponics gardens in schools and correctional facilities and provides training to students and CTE teachers on how to manage the gardens and harvest vegetables. Aquaponics is a type of farming that combines live freshwater fish and vegetables in a symbiotic environment. 100 Gardens has started 18 programs since 2012, including ones in Garinger High School, Myers Park High School and West Charlotte High School.
Hot rezonings (🔒): Buckle up and dive into this month’s hot rezonings, where we summarize the rezoning petitions filed by Charlotte developers. From new homes and office buildings to a “research campus,” we tell you what’s headed for your neighborhood — long before you’ll read it on Nextdoor.
Wednesday Ledger (🔒):
Dilworth Starbucks development: A developer shared plans and renderings for a new mixed-use building at the Dilworth Starbucks site at the corner of East Boulevard and Scott Avenue with the community earlier this week. SunCap Property Group added two additional parcels of land to the 1.64-acre rezoning petition filed earlier this year. Dilworth residents shared concerns about the height of the building, the increased traffic on an alleyway on the property, and the un-”Dilworthian” exterior design of the building.
New Pineville municipal building set to open: The finishing touches are being made to a new town hall and library in the town of Pineville. The 43,000 s.f. building near the town’s downtown will house the town’s administrative offices, town council chambers and more. It will also have a new library in the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system.
Friday Ledger (🔒):
A corridor for the displaced: The Monroe Road corridor has become a more-affordable home for displaced businesses leaving expensive areas like Plaza Midwood and NoDa. With increased rent and businesses with larger pockets buying up property, businesses like Stash Pad and NoDa Yoga have moved into buildings on Monroe Road that are not only affordable but have better parking and accessibility for customers.
Centre South development update: Neighbors near the proposed Centre South development on the outskirts of Dilworth heard updated plans for the 16.7-acre mixed-use site.
Offbeat business splatters paint: The first in our “Offbeat Business” occasional series spotlights Splatter Charlotte, which invites customers to throw paint at a canvas and create a 30-inch by 40-inch piece of focal art. It’s $125 for a one-hour session for two people. Founder Tim Edwards said he wanted to create a low-stakes, informal opportunity for people to discover their artistic side.
Ways of Life (🔒):
104-year-old limerick writer and puppet maker: Up until Anne Yenne’s passing, she was still writing limericks and reading books. She died at 104. Anne was also a master puppet-maker and taught kids in Chicago how to make puppets and put on shows before moving to Charlotte. She was a docent at the Mint Museum and took English and art classes at Central Piedmont Community College. She volunteered as a mentor and tutor to children, and she taught English to Japanese women whose husbands’ jobs brought them to the U.S
Learning from other cities: With Charlotte Area Transit System bus ridership down 75% from 2014, Charlotte leaders decided to push back the vote on a penny sales tax from this fall until at least 2023. Columbus, Ohio, pushed back its vote on a half-cent tax too, which would have built bus rapid transit lanes. Closer to home, New Hanover County still plans to go ahead with a vote in November on whether to increase the sales tax by a quarter-cent for more bus service in Wilmington.
Swiderski opens up: Polish star-striker Karol Swiderski sat down with The Ledger’s Carroll Walton and her Polish-speaking friend Kasia Bishop for a 40-minute interview — his first extended interview with a reporter all season. Swiderski opens up about his life in Charlotte, from his Starbucks order (frappuccino with oat milk) to the source of his emotions on the field.
Correction: A list of candidates who have filed for Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board that we published in Friday’s newsletter for paying members incorrectly stated the district that incumbent Carol Sawyer represents. Sawyer represents District 4. Apologies.
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project