Pickleball players in Wellington will have a new way to beat the heat and rain soon with the new Diadem Pickleball Complex (DPC) coming soon to the old Circuit City site near the Mall at Wellington Green.
The new facility will have 11 air-conditioned indoor courts, two pickleball simulators, two golf simulators, a pro shop, a private party area, and a restaurant and bar.
Gene DeVito, general manager and director of pickleball at the Diadem Sports Complex in Coconut Creek, said they chose to expand into Wellington because of its established pickleball community but limited indoor options.
“We found a space that had been vacant for a little while that had everything we were looking for, with high ceilings and air conditioning,” he said. “Just a big, open environment where we can put in the type of courts that we wanted to.”
The former Circuit City store in the Shoppes at Wellington Green will be used as the new location for the facility. The structure, built in 2002, is part of the plaza off Forest Hill Blvd. in front of the mall. The site has remained mostly vacant since Circuit City closed all its brick-and-mortar stores after filing for bankruptcy in 2008.
Several proposals for the building have been submitted, but none progressed forward. Wellington Planning, Zoning & Building Director Tim Stillings told the Town-Crier that the interior build-out has been permitted and is underway. A different contractor will be installing the courts, but no permits have been applied for yet.
“Pickleball is very popular, and an indoor facility will likely be successful,” Stillings said. “It’s a benefit to fill a storefront that has been vacant for many years.”
One of the major goals of building the new facility is to create a centralized pickleball community in Wellington. DeVito explained that the company hopes to give players a place to regularly play and socialize.
The facility will offer programs for different skill levels, with coaches and various programs available. The company hopes to keep its 11 courts occupied throughout the day, so it can cater to all different types of people. These programs will give newcomers a chance to learn, while also allowing more experienced players opportunities to improve.
“The DPC offers programming that no other facility offers in pickleball,” DiVito said. “We just have so many different options for so many different levels of play, where everybody can feel comfortable coming. Everybody is going to know that when they play at DPC Wellington, they’re going to get structure and they’re going to get value.”
DeVito is excited to bring this new facility to the village and is looking forward to helping build relationships with pickleball players in the area. He encourages anyone interested in the sport to give the complex a try once it opens. The company is planning a soft opening in December and a hard launch in January.
“If you like pickleball, and you are a pickleball enthusiast, you’re going to want to come to the DPC,” DeVito said. “If you’ve never heard of pickleball, you want to learn to play, you want to learn the right way and have fun your first time playing, you’re going to want to come to the DPC.”
The new Diadem Pickleball Complex will be located at 10570 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Shoppes at Wellington Green.
To learn more about Diadem Pickleball Complex or its existing Coconut Creek location, visit www.diadempickleballcomplex.com.
