Construction has begun on Black Barn Pickleball project in Riverside that will result in Ohio’s largest indoor pickleball facility upon completion.
Black Barn Pickleball – located at 4740 Linden Ave. – will feature multiple courts inside and outdoors for pickleball lovers and beginners to play all day with family, friends, and other local enthusiasts.
Project will proceed in three phases
The project will proceed in three phases, with the first one starting mid-September. Phase one includes constructing eight indoor courts and implementing a driveway and parking lot. Building one, spanning about 24,000 square feet, will house the eight courts.
Also, first facility will include a pro shop selling classic pickleball apparel and a check-in desk. Mike Bettencourt of Black Barn Pickleball anticipates completing construction on building one by March 2025.
After finishing building one, the owners will start constructing the outdoor courts and building two. They will estimate the demand for building two after reviewing how memberships and interest fare once they complete and open the first facility. Current plans for the 34,000 square foot building No. 2 include 10 to 14 more indoor pickleball courts.
While plans for building two remain in development, Bettencourt hopes the facility will offer more amenities for visitors. The second facility will have a different atmosphere than its predecessor, featuring not only more courts but also food and drink options.
Although they likely won’t include a full-service restaurant, the building will offer easy-to-snack-on food items and potentially a bar for guests to enjoy beers and cocktails while at the courts. They have also prepared the outdoor area to accommodate food trucks in the future.
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Third and final construction phase of Ohio’s largest indoor pickleball facility
The third and final construction phase involves bringing in one or two local businesses to occupy space on the parcel of land. Black Barn’s owners seek to find a complementary business – such as a coffee shop or smoothie store – that operates as a franchise or a local firm to establish a storefront on the extra green space near the facilities. According to Bettencourt, the city of Riverside collaborates closely with Black Barn to identify a potential future vendor at the site, but they haven’t finalized any plans yet.
Project Partners
Bettencourt and his partners – Jeff Jett and Brandon Williamson – all self-described “pickleball fanatics”, noted the need for dedicated pickleball facilities in the region as the sport continued to rise in popularity.
“Dayton offers plenty of places to play outdoors, but the sport has become so popular,” Bettencourt said. “We identified the demand and saw a huge pickleball population in Dayton and thought we would really love to bring high-quality indoor and outdoor dedicated pickleball to the area.”
Membership plans
The owners have yet to decide on membership plans and pricing for guests opting to play in the facility, but Bettencourt says they focus on keeping rates affordable so everyone can enjoy the space.
The facility will occupy land previously occupied by the historic Smiley’s Golf and Baseball Center, a sports center featuring a driving range, batting cages, and miniature golf course. Smiley’s operated from 1947 until 2015, and thousands of Dayton and Ohio residents loved and visited it throughout the decades.
Dayton Pickleball Club LLC purchased the land parcel in April for $485,000, according to Montgomery County records. Upon opening, Bettencourt predicts the facility will employ around 20 people, with the option to hire more once they incorporate food and drink services.
Bettencourt said the public has responded overwhelmingly positively since the announcement of the facility, as Riverside residents yearn to have another sports complex in the city.
“So many people have reached out to us, excited about something else going in there,” Bettencourt said. “Many people have tons of memories of hanging out at Smiley’s and growing up and having a good time there. We now feel like pickleball represents the modern version of the driving range where people, including family and friends, can go and hang out and have a good time.”
Although they haven’t set an official opening date yet, the owners hope to have both facilities up and running by late 2025.
Black Barn Pickleball Project Factsheet
Project Name: Black Barn Pickleball
Location: 4740 Linden Ave., Riverside, Ohio
Project Goal: To create Ohio’s largest indoor pickleball facility
largest indoor pickleball facility in Ohio: Project Phases;
Phase 1: Building One (Indoor Courts)
Phase 2: Outdoor Courts and Building Two
And Phase 3: Additional Local Businesses
Phase 1 Details:
8 indoor courts
24,000 square feet building
Pro shop and check-in desk
Expected completion: March 2025
Phase 2 Details:
10-14 additional indoor courts
34,000 square feet building
Food and drink options (snacks, potential bar)
Outdoor courts
Area for food trucks
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