Grab your paddles, Kansas City – it’s official! Community Builders of Kansas City’s (CBKC) much anticipated pickleball venue, SW19 at the Stadium, has opened at the former CoCo Key Resort, located at 9119 E 39th St., Kansas City, Missouri, 64133. A friends and family soft opening took place on Wednesday, June 4, with about 75 in attendance. The official grand opening event was held a week later on June 11. About 400 people attended the invitation-only event.
Emmet Pierson Jr., president and CEO of Community Builders KC, spoke about the transformation.
“The change is night and day; you’d never know this was once a waterpark,” he said. “It’s really cool to see what began as a vision to expand access to pickleball in Jackson County transform into this best-in-class destination. It was quite the undertaking – we gutted it, tore out the waterpark slides, poured courts and built it up into a unique experience that can’t be matched in Jackson County.”
The $6.5 million overhaul of the water park in the former Adams Mark Hotel that made way for SW19 at the Stadium includes eight indoor pickleball courts, a bar and restaurant helmed by local chef Keeyoung Kim, celebrated for his Korean-inspired bar cuisine. A lobby lounge, flexible event space and two VIP suites are available by reservation, and the site serves as the home of Kansas City’s first professional pickleball team, the KC Stingers.
Vibrant modern décor fills the space, with the Stingers’ signature purple and green lighting up the courts. Throughout the lobby, restaurant, bar and private suites, pickleball–inspired accents, like ball-shaped pillows and signature light fixtures, are seamlessly woven into a sleek contemporary design.
Pierson emphasizes that the main goal of the new space is inclusivity and expanding access to under-resourced markets, not surprising given that health and wellness is one of the CBKCs strategic pillars.
“With no pickleball venues in Eastern Jackson County, we wanted to cultivate the community and introduce the sport to new audiences – especially underserved youth, as collegiate pickleball scholarships emerge,” Pierson said. “Our aim is to welcome everyone, from casual beginners to competitive pros.”
Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America for the third consecutive year with an estimated 50 million Americans partaking. However, nearly 70 percent of casual players and over 80 percent of core players are white and only 7.3 percent are Black according to the Sports Fitness Industry Association report.
SW19 at the Stadium offers programs for inner city youth, clinics for beginners, classes with professional players, casual drop-in play and competitive leagues and tournaments.
It was built not just to serve athletes but to fuel a broader mission of reshaping the physical landscape and increasing the opportunities available to local residents. Thirty-four new jobs were created with employees hired through a federal grant, approximately 28 for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Staff are being trained to work in pickleball management, hospitality management and restaurant management.
SW19 is about more than just playing pickleball. It’s about introducing pickleball to new generations and under-resourced communities, sparking economic growth and creating a space where everyone can belong, grow, and thrive.