The Ion District, Houston’s hub for innovation, now has its very own pickleball experience with the newly-opened Pickle Lab.
Located on the corner of Fannin and Eagle streets at the heart of the Ion District, the Pickle Lab opened in August with six pickleball courts — two indoor and four outdoor. The indoor courts are housed in the former Sears garden center, while the outdoor courts are surrounded by Mexican Sycamore trees relocated from the McNair Hall expansion on campus. The Pickle Lab provides an affordable and uniquely designed option for people to play one of the most popular sports in the country.
Representatives from the Rice Real Estate Co. say they hope the venue will serve as an amenity for the Ion District, the transformative centerpiece of Houston’s innovation corridor.
“The Ion District is designed to bring our city’s entrepreneurial, corporate and academic communities into a home for advancing diverse knowledge, teams, technologies and products that propel our world forward,” said Sam Dike, strategic investments manager at Rice.
“The idea for the Pickle Lab within the Ion District was to provide a community asset that would benefit researchers, students, faculty and really anyone,” said Bryson Grover, managing director of real estate. “It’s really about creating a fun environment within the innovation district for people to bounce ideas off one another while having a great time. Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., and there weren’t many available pickleball courts in the area.”
Rice President Reginald DesRoches made a surprise appearance at the new Pickle Lab Nov. 9 to join students in a pickleball tournament.
“It was a great time connecting and competing with Rice students at the new Pickle Lab on Saturday,” DesRoches said. “This impressive space is not just a fun venue but a dynamic addition that will enrich the Ion District just north of Rice’s campus.”
The Pickle Lab is open to the public and provides discounts for Rice students and employees as well as companies based in the Ion District. To learn more or to reserve a court, visit iondistrict.com/visit/pickle-lab .