Pure Pickleball & Padel beefs up plans for flagship location near Scottsdale

Sports venue is part of larger Riverwalk development being built by CaliberCos

By Ron Davis 

Plans for a signature pickleball venue in the Valley have turned grandiose

Pure Pickleball & Padel, formerly known as Pure Pickleball, has bolstered its ambitions for a flagship 186,000-square-foot facility near Scottsdale.

Plans for the size of the proposed facility have nearly doubled from the initial vision of 108,000 square feet on 11.44 acres east of Loop 101 between the Topgolf and OdySea Aquarium. The building will rise at the Riverwalk development by CaliberCos Inc. (Nasdaq: CWD) on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land.

Inside, there will be 48 pickleball courts and two padel courts — a similar paddle-based game with a playable enclosure surrounding the court. There is also space outside to add 12 temporary courts, including a 5,000-person championship court. It will be a membership-based club with some designated play open to the public.

The main floor will be home to a pro shop, a full-service restaurant and bar, locker rooms, exercise and recovery rooms and a championship court that could hold up to 1,200 spectators. The second floor will have on-site childcare, a special event court, box seats, office space and a broadcast booth. Pure Pickleball & Padel will also sport a rooftop bar and lounge.

Venue will host Arizona's pro pickleball team

Brett Warner, a co-founder of Pure Pickleball & Padel, said the venue will also be the home of the AZ Drive — a Major League Pickleball team backed by Arizona Cardinals great Larry Fitzgerald Jr. Kevin Berk, a co-founder of Pure Pickleball & Padel, said his company is collaborating with USA Pickleball and looking to finalize having Pure Pickleball & Padel be a host site for USA Pickleball National Championships.

"We want to be the host site for the largest and most prestigious tournaments. We want to be a major league stadium. We understand the sport is going to connect amateur players, new players, all the way up to professionals," Warner said. "When we open, the Valley will be the capital of the sport of pickleball. This is going to be where everybody comes to play. This is where everyone expects the largest events to take place."

The goal is to break ground next year and wrap up construction in 2026.

Pure Pickleball & Padel was the first user to hop on board the Riverwalk development last November, which encompasses roughly 80 acres that Caliber will develop. Chris Loeffler, CEO of Caliber, said momentum has picked up in bringing other users to Riverwalk. He said Caliber is close to an announcement for a sports and entertainment user and in the early stages of bringing an extended-stay hotel to the site. 

Caliber closed on nearly 100 acres in 2022 to build a mixed-use project with entertainment, restaurants, retail, hotels, event venues and immersive art attractions. Caliber invested around $45 million to acquire the land lease to develop on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community property.

Phoenix-based companies Wespac Construction and Davis will be the general contractor and architect of the Pure Pickleball & Padel venue, respectively.

see what's planned for Pure Pickleball & Padel:

Loeffler said Caliber is raising money to build the Pure Pickleball & Padel venue, which has a price tag of about $60 million. Caliber, a real estate investment and development company, is building contributing 50% equity to the project, with debt covering the other half. Caliber is raising money from investors through its Opportunity Zone Fund, diversified fund or directly into the project. As of Sept. 9, Loeffler said about 40% of the $30 million in equity has been raised.

"This concept is so cool. It touches so many different groups. ... I think people will want to become members and become lifelong members," Loeffler said. "This facility will be, I think, multi-generational. You don't get the chance to create something like this that's this special very often in your career."

Pure Pickleball & Padel will join several other emerging experience-led retail developments in the area. In addition to the existing Talking Stick Resort & Casino and Topgolf, vertical construction is underway at The Sydney, an entertainment-driven retail development by Palmer Development Group. A major anchor to The Sydney — a more than $100 million project — is Reverb by Hard Rock Scottsdale. Hard Rock announced this year that the five-story, 168-key hotel will open in the spring or summer of 2026. The Rustic and Pickle & Social will also be part of The Sydney.

Last month, Austin-based Home Run Dugout announced plans to bring its 65,000-square-foot concept to the area. The concept, roughly described as Topgolf for baseball, will be located next to the existing Topgolf near Talking Stick Resort & Casino.

Final thoughts:

If you're moving to the Valley from out of state, Scottsdale's expanding Riverwalk development is about to become a major hotspot — especially if you're a fan of sports and entertainment. The upcoming Pure Pickleball & Padel facility is set to be a game-changer, with world-class amenities, pro matches, and a vibrant social scene, all in one. It's not just for athletes; the venue will offer family-friendly features like on-site childcare, restaurants, rooftop bars, and even championship courts for spectators. Plus, with the exciting plans for nearby developments like The Sydney and Hard Rock's new hotel, you'll have no shortage of things to do. Whether you're new to pickleball or just looking for a dynamic community, this area is shaping up to be a prime destination to call home.