Proposed indoor pickleball facility in Tysons seeks to meet high demand

A plan to bring pickleball to a warehouse near the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons is starting to take more concrete shape.

The Pickleball Club of Tysons is seeking a special permit from Fairfax County to build an indoor pickleball facility with six courts at 8520 Tyco Road, an office and warehouse park just across the street from the Adaire apartments.

“There is a growing demand for high quality dedicated indoor pickleball courts in Fairfax County,” the club said in a statement of justification. “The Pickleball Club of Tysons will meet the growing demand as one of the only dedicated indoor pickleball facilities in Fairfax County.”

The number of pickleball facilities in the county has grown in recent years to 76 courts, as of June, according to the Fairfax County Park Authority. But indoor options remain limited almost three years after Pickleballerz in Chantilly became Northern Virginia’s first indoor, pickleball-only facility.

Tarlika Amin and Marc Greenberg, a pair of local pickleball players, decided to develop the Pickleball Club of Tysons after getting frustrated with the difficulties of finding open courts, they told WJLA.

They anticipate opening the new facility by spring 2024, assuming the permitting and construction processes go smoothly, according to WJLA.

Located toward the back of the 90,000-square-foot property, the facility will feature six 20-by-44-foot courts that can each accommodate two to four players at a time. The club envisions allowing drop-in play, competitive leagues, private lessons, tournaments and special events.

There will also be a reception or check-in area, a lounge, bathrooms, a water fountain and a management office, according to the application.

The proposed operating hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Just five total employees are expected, including a full-time manager and four part-time workers.

Estimating a maximum of 36 players at any given time and five total employees, including a full-time manager and four part-time workers, the club says it doesn’t “anticipate any meaningful traffic impact” as a result of the proposal.

“The site is walking distance to the Silver Line Metro, and we expect a large portion of patrons to come on-site via Metro,” the application said. “At any one time a maximum of 36 cars could conceivably drive onto the site. And again, this would be highly unlikely that 36 patrons with cars would be on-site at the same time.”

According to the application, property owner Cambridge has agreed to provide up to 50 parking spots at the site, which will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

While the property is zoned for an industrial district, Fairfax County allows commercial recreational uses are allowed with a special permit. The application notes that there are already a number of recreational facilities in the area, including the sports complex Perfect Performance NOVA and the Tysons Playground Fitness & Performance Center.

The application was submitted to the county last week but hasn’t been officially accepted for review yet.

The possibility of a new pickleball facility in the area will no doubt come as a relief to the Town of Vienna, which has been seeking alternatives to reduce noise-related conflicts between players and neighbors at its Glyndon Park courts.