KC’s pro pickleball team getting new $6.5M home near Arrowhead, Kauffman Stadium

May 29, 2025  |  Startland News Staff

Daryl Wyatt, SW19 Pickleball, and Emmet Pierson Jr., Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC), at the new SW19 at the Stadium facility; photo by Darrien Case

A long-awaited redevelopment project in Kansas City’s stadium corridor is transforming the former CoCo Key Water resort into a vibrant destination pickleball facility with eight indoor courts, a full-service bar and restaurant, a coffee shop, and event spaces.

It also will be home to the Kansas City Stingers, a professional team in the National Pickleball League that launched in 2024 from Leawood.

SW19 at the Stadium — led by Community Builders of Kansas City (CBKC), in partnership with SW19 Pickleball — is expected to open June 11 at 9119 E 39th St. An all-ages grand opening celebration 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. is set to include free open play, play with a pro experiences, food and drink specials, and giveaways. 

The project addresses a need for economic revitalization in the corridor, as well as a response to growing demand for pickleball facilities in the metro, said Emmet Pierson Jr., president and CEO of CBKC. 

“We’re thrilled to finally open our doors to the Kansas City community,” he said. “This project represents our continued commitment to changing the landscape of Kansas City, while adding 39 new jobs.

The Kansas City Stingers — co-owned by CBKC, Julie Gibson, and Daryl Wyatt — are just one piece of the puzzle, emphasized Wyatt, who also owns SW19 Tennis and Pickleball.

What is CBKC?

Community Builders of Kansas City is a not-for-profit community development corporation that acts as a community convener, facilitator and resource for services. Since 1991,CBKC has invested $300 million in urban renewal.

The $6.5 million SW19 at the Stadium facility aims to grow pickleball in Kansas City, not just cater to existing players, he said.

“We’re developing relationships with local youth organizations and school districts to invite the youth to come and learn the sport, no matter their skill level or experience,” said Wyatt, a former professional tennis player who played on the ATP Tour and has almost three decades of coaching experience, during which he has developed both local and nationally ranked junior players.

“We want SW19 at the Stadium to be a place where kids can come after school to hang out, play, learn, and dream big,” he added, noting the opportunities for young players as colleges begin to offer scholarships for pickleball.

ICYMI: Why a staunch tennis purist put down his racket for a paddle

Wyatt currently plays on the Stingers and is ranked third in the world in the APP Champions Division in Men’s Pro Doubles. 

More than just courts, SW19 at the Stadium is expected to offer a full-service dining area — with a menu led by Keeyoung Kim of Chingu, Sura Eats, and Chingu Coffee — and court views, a centerpiece bar, and a full-service coffee shop serving locally-roasted coffee

Hours for SW19 at the Stadium are set for 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 6 a.m. to midnight Fridays; 7 a.m. to midnight Saturdays; and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. Restaurant, bar, and coffee bar hours vary.

startland-tip-jar

TIP JAR

Did you enjoy this post? Show your support by becoming a member or buying us a coffee.

2025 Startups to Watch

    stats here

    Related Posts on Startland News

    New FCC chairman Ajit Pai is familiar with KC startup community

    By Tommy Felts | January 24, 2017

    A native Kansan that recently visited with the area’s entrepreneurial community will now head the Federal Communications Commission. President Donald Trump selected Ajit Pai, the senior Republican on the FCC to lead the commission, which regulates interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. “I am deeply grateful to the President of…

    Need for speed: Mozilla awards $101K to local gigabit projects

    By Tommy Felts | January 23, 2017

    The Mozilla Gigabit Community Fund announced it will award a total of $101,000 to fund six local projects that use gigabit technology to impact learning. The Gigabit Community Fund is a national partnership between the National Science Foundation, US Ignite and Mozilla. Locally, the fund partners with KC Digital Drive, whose goal is to leverage…

    Firebrand Ventures joins $6.85M round in Des Moines startup

    By Tommy Felts | January 20, 2017

    Continuing a streak of investments, Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures joined a sizable investment in an Iowa-based payments processing startup. Firebrand joined six other venture funds in a $6.85 million funding round in Des Moines-based Dwolla, which builds applications that facilitate bank transfers, manages customers and verifies bank accounts. The round was led by Union Square…

    Eze Redwood, Rise Fast

    Challenging the notion of ‘entitled millennials,’ Rise Fast empowers young people

    By Tommy Felts | January 19, 2017

    When the economy took a turn for the worst in 2008, many millennials saw their parents and grandparents laid off by companies they’d been loyal to for years. Eze Redwood said that although it’s easy to gloss over the impact that traumatic events have on a generation’s psyche, young professionals carry the weight of this…