Pickleball pop-up to open in Downtown Honolulu in January

Pickles at Forté, a pop-up venue for indoor pickleball, is set to open in January, according to its website. The new space, located in what was formerly Walmart at 1032 Fort Street Mall, will include six courts with air conditioning and lockers and changing rooms, as well as onsite parking.  

The former Walmart building was sold on Feb. 28, 2024, according to Collier’s website. It was purchased by Avalon Development, as previously reported by Hawaii Public Radio. It sold for $38.25 million, according to public records. The fee simple property had included 84,920 square feet of land on two levels, including a five-story garage with 457 spaces, according to the property posting on Colliers’ website. The 1.22-acre property is part of the Honolulu Central Business District. 

Public interest in pickleball courts has expanded in recent years. In March of 2023, the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation had 18 courts dedicated to pickleball. Since then, it has doubled its number of dedicated pickleball courts, according to its website. The Oahu Pickleball Association, a nonprofit since 2017, also recently hosted an event with more than 30 indoor courts at the Hawaii Convention Center, according to the group's website.

Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.