Pickleball is becoming popular as a sport that appeals to a wide age range and many pickleball venues have been popping up to cater to this broad appeal. One of the newest will be in Baton Rouge as a group of investors is looking to convert the former Shed BBQ at 7477 Burbank Dr.
The new pickleball venue will also be an entertainment, drinking, and dining destination. According to development partner and local attorney Gordon McKernan, plans for the yet-to-be-named indoor-outdoor complex include areas for shuffleboard, bocce, cornhole and live music. There will also be a full bar and range of food options, developed by local restauranteur and chef Ozzie Fernandez.
McKernan recently told What Now New Orleans that a memorable afternoon visit to a pickleball complex in Austin was the primary inspiration for the new venture.
“It was really a fun afternoon and I said, why can’t I bring something like that back to Louisiana?” he mused. “Louisiana keeps exporting our people and other things to Texas. I said why can’t we import some ideas and what they’ve done?”
The 7-acre complex is currently under construction, and McKernan anticipated an opening date in August or September, just in time for college football season.
“I don’t think Baton Rouge has anything like the vision we have in mind,” he said. “This should be a destination for individuals, couples and families.”
