Less than two years after the Toon Town entertainment and sports complex in Talleyrand added two indoor pickleball courts, the business is adding four more courts to accommodate players of the fast-growing sport.
Richard Parkes, director of pickleball activities at Toon Town, and J.T. Rhodes, owner of the business that has a pizzeria and games, oversee the complex at 444 Talleyrand Ave., which has been in operation for about seven years.
The building was a storage warehouse before Toon Town and its display of cartoon artwork on the interior and exterior walls set up shop.
The business is promoted as a multifaceted tailgate center when the Jacksonville Jaguars play home games at TIAA Bank Field about two blocks to the west.
Toon Town is in an industrial area. A plumbing business is next door.
The new pickleball courts will make up a significant portion of the business, but they won’t cover all of the costs. Instead, they will be supplemental to the main focus of the complex as an events center.
Markets with several dozen vendors also will fill the building to help bring in revenue.
Still, Rhodes and Parkes – both avid pickleball players – said the additional courts will draw a lot of players to Toon Town as the sport is growing in popularity.
They are finalizing the work and permits to complete the services with more restrooms. The upgrades and renovation are projected to cost about $300,000 for 16,000 square feet of playing space.
It will be the largest indoor pickleball facility in Jacksonville, Parkes said.
He said other multicourt indoor pickleball facilities in the works in Jacksonville. He said it might be another year before some of those other indoor facilities would be operational.
The city is reviewing a permit application for renovations to the space, including the addition of spectator seating, at an estimated cost of $250,000. Jacksonville-based RS&H is the architect.
The initial pickleball courts were constructed inside Toon Town in 2021.
Parkes said they had hoped to add four courts then, but were delayed by permitting and regulatory issues.
Chance Gerisch owns the property and is a partner in the business.
Rhodes said he started playing pickleball about four years ago and Parkes two years ago. Pickleball is growing in popularity throughout the nation.
CNN reported in March the number of people playing pickleball grew by 159% over three years to 8.9 million in 2022, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, a trade group.
The game is played on a court about half the size of a tennis court with paddles. It uses a plastic ball resembling a Wiffle ball. Basic paddles can sell for less than $20 online but can run nearly $300 for advanced models.
Games are played to 11 points, and are played as either singles or doubles. A game must be won by two points. The rules are similar to tennis.
Parkes said the game is addictive.
“Once you play pickleball, I don’t know anybody who stopped playing pickleball,” Parkes said. “It’s a fantastic game and one I could teach you how to play in one hour and have you out playing and enjoying yourself. It’s going to be a craze for a long time.”
Pickleball courts are about one-third the size of a tennis court. The game lends itself to being a social event and it doesn’t require as much physical exertion as tennis.
“As you progress in the game of pickleball and you become more competitive, the game becomes more competitive on you,” Rhodes said.
“Entry level is very fun, it’s very easy and it’s very community-oriented,” Rhodes said. “As you grow in skill level, it becomes a more advanced, harder, faster game.”
Rhodes and Parkes said competitive leagues are growing. A mobile phone app called “DUPR” uses a scale to rate players in an effort to match players with similar skills.
When the courts are operational, Toon Town will charge a small yearly fee, similar to a club fee, that has not been determined. Play will be hourly court rentals as well as organized play and leagues.
The pickleball facility is not air-conditioned, but there are six large ceiling fans to generate air circulation and reduce the heat.
