KC’s pro pickleball team getting new $6.5M home near Arrowhead, Kauffman Stadium
May 29, 2025 | Startland News Staff
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.
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.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Edcoda founder after pivot to new edtech app Boddle: ‘I wish I had failed faster’
Clarence Tan held onto his startup Edcoda longer than he should have, the founder admitted, but his pivot to a new edtech learning app, Boddle, should prove a more filling fit for users. “Boddle has a much better underlying vision and mission, as well as being better in terms of how it would work in…
New STEAM Studio ‘pop-up’ lab planned for Rockhurst library along Troost
With its quiet atmosphere and stacks of source materials, the bottom floor of the Greenlease Library at Rockhurst University is a great place to study or do research. But it doesn’t necessarily strike one as a state-of-the-art design thinking and learning lab — yet. Starting this summer, that section of the university’s library will be…
City: Best way to avoid tickets in downtown KCMO, Crossroads? Pay via ParkMobile app
Unsafe parking conditions in the city’s downtown business districts have spun out of control, prompting increased ticketing, said Matt Staub. The ParkMobile app can reduce such headaches for motorists searching for an open spot along busy Kansas City streets. “People are kind of making up their own parking spaces, parking in ‘no-parking’ zones — all…
From cell phone emissions to wisdom teeth: KC STEM Alliance honors student innovators
When the KC STEM Alliance brought together 377 students from 41 schools to showcase their senior capstone projects in engineering and biomedical sciences last week at Union Station, visitors were amazed at their ingenuity and creativity. Special guests included Vince Bertram, president and CEO of Project Lead The Way, and Mike Oister, CEO of the…