Pitstops along the Atlanta Beltline’s western edge will soon include a large pickleball complex and an interactive concept that mimics popular gameshows.
Both businesses plan to open in coming months in West End, at the Lee + White adaptive-reuse warehouse district and another building, 1200 White St., just north of it that’s being remade by Lee + White owners Ackerman & Co.
For both concepts, it will mark their first locations in Georgia.
The larger lease—nearly 36,000 square feet at the 1200 White St. building—will go to Dill Dinkers, a growing pickleball franchise.
The West End pickleball club calls for 11 indoor courts in a former warehouse setting, marking the company’s flagship location in metro Atlanta, with more likely in the pipeline.
Each court will be individually fenced, and other components of the club will include a pro shop and events space, per Ackerman & Co. officials.
The courts will feature Dill Dinkers’ Pro Cushion playing surface, which is designed to be easier on players’ joints, per project leaders.
Dill Dinkers plans to open the West End location in the first quarter of 2025, joining outposts in metro Washington D.C., Maryland, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.
The company’s “decision to open its first Atlanta club in the West End is a testament to this area’s growing appeal as a destination for a variety of retailers and businesses,” Evan Ziegler, Ackerman & Co. president of investment, said in an announcement today.
The pickleball complex will consume only a fraction of the 1200 White St. building, which is being remade into a mixed-use hub with a new extension of the Beltline’s Westside Trail planned beside it.
The 211,585-square-foot facility is being designed to accommodate restaurants, retail, industrial uses, creative offices, and experiential concepts, per Ackerman officials.
Meanwhile, a couple of blocks to the south at Lee + White, an interactive experience called The Game Show Challenge is aiming to open in a 3,889-square-foot space by the end of 2024.
The Game Show Challenge will be located in Lee + White’s Building 1000, next to Monday Night Brewing and Grady’s new neighborhood health center.
Expect two studios where “contestants”—typically six to 14 people (or more) at a time—can play interactive games hosted in styles that mimic famous gameshows. Think: trivia, word puzzles, spin-the-wheel challenges, and more.
The West End location will mark the third for the gameshow concept, which is aiming to open 30 more over the next five years. Current locations are in Columbia and Greenville, S.C.
“We love to be in areas like this with a steady flow of people,” Josh Brickey, The Game Show Challenge’s managing partner, said in an announcement. “This is a great opportunity for us to be in a redeveloped space with a lot of character, surrounded by a great mix of tenants in a part of town that’s rejuvenating.”
Ackerman & Co. and MDH Partners, the development team behind the 11-building Lee + White venture, signed another experiential tenant, Atlanta Golf & Social, this past summer. That concept plans to open in a 3,767-square-foot space in coming months, joining a flagship location in downtown Chamblee.
According to Lee + White developers, just one space totaling 3,990 square feet remains available in the district’s 16-tenant food hall now.
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