Mega Courts is preparing to open a new 60,000-square-foot pickleball facility in southeast Calgary on Monday.

Located at 5160 68th Ave. S.E., the centre will be among the largest of its kind in the city. The facility features 13 oversized pickleball courts and four tennis courts, addressing the sport’s growing demand.

“I discovered pickleball three years ago, and I wanted to play, and there was no place to play,” Vlad Voskoboinikov, Mega Courts’ founder, told Livewire Calgary.

“So [I] naively said, ‘Well, why don’t I just open a place up?’”

According to the Daily Hive, the facility also includes a cafe and event space.

Located near the Calgary Soccer Centre and other major sports facilities, the project nearly collapsed after after an initial lease fell through.

“We actually had a place just down the street here, and the landlord at the last moment decided that they don’t want recreational and almost gave up two years into it,” Voskoboinikov told Livewire.

“Then we saw this place, and I said, ‘60,000 square feet. Are you crazy?’ But then, on the other hand, after drawing it out, I said, ‘Well, go big, or go home.’ ”

The facility has already attracted significant interest, with more than 100 groups touring the site over the March 8 weekend; meanwhile, Mega Courts is receiving hundreds of daily inquiries, he told Livewire.

As construction nears completion, Mega Courts awaits final fire and health inspections from the city.

Photo: Mega Courts