Something new is happening at Bellingham’s Armory. It involves this fast-growing sport
As Pickleball continues to gain in popularity, Bellingham residents will soon have a new place to play in a landmark building.
Owners of the Bellingham Armory building at 525 N. State St. have resurfaced the main floor once used as a roller skating rink for what will be five indoor pickleball courts. The courts are expected to be ready by October and a company called Armory Pickleball will operate the courts, using a membership-style format that will allow players to book times on an app throughout the day and into the evening.
The owners of the building, Curt O’Connor and Pete Dawson, have a one-year conditional-use permit to allow the business to operate the courts. If it’s a hit, the plan is to keep it going as the owners continue plans to find the best use for the building, O’Connor said.
Craig Cooper, who owns Armory Pickleball with Courtney Jenkins, said anyone is welcome to join. The plan is to have players with a wide range of skill levels participate by using a variety of formats ranging from drop-in play to round-robin tournaments. There are also plans to have coaching sessions, youth programs and regional tournaments.
Cooper, a financial advisor at Momentum Financial Group in Fairhaven, said he got hooked on pickleball during the COVID-19 pandemic. With less restrictive measures in place at this stage of the pandemic, Cooper wanted to increase the number of indoor pickleball options in town. He was able to convince the owners of the Armory building to try it out.
O’Connor said they were looking for ideas that would allow the community to use the building as they continue to make more long-range plans. In 2018 O’Connor and Dawson purchased the 60,000-square-foot building from Western Washington University for $1.5 million. They were working with the community to figure out the best use for the building, including mixed-use plans that keep the exterior intact but involved remodeling the inside for office, commercial and residential uses.
O’Connor said the pandemic has delayed those plans, so they began thinking about uses that could happen fairly quickly that involved the community. Dawson, who is CEO of Dawson Construction, brought in a crew to resurface the main floor of the building.
Cooper added that the community should use this unique building as it provided fun memories from when it was a roller rink.
“I don’t think it’s healthy to let it sit empty,” Cooper said.
Building history
The building, with its sweeping views of Bellingham Bay, was built by the Washington National Guard in 1910, according to The Bellingham Herald archives. It is known for its Chuckanut sandstone facade and its heavy timber roof beams.
It was used by the National Guard and Army Reserve until 1953. In November 1953 the main floor of the building became home to a roller skating rink called Rolladium, which operated until 1989 when it was closed because of water damage. Western purchased the property from the state in 1972 for $1. After the rink closed it was used to house furniture as well as sets and costumes for the university’s theater department.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S. According to a Wikipedia post, pickleball was invented in 1965 on Bainbridge Island. It’s a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It’s garnered a following around Bellingham, including the formation of the Bellingham Pickleball Club in 2018, which promotes the sport by listing places to play and organizing events.
The arrival of Armory Pickleball comes at a time when another pickleball facility is opening. Volli Bellingham is planning to have its facility near Whatcom Community College open in early September. Along with indoor pickleball courts, Volli’s 24,000-square-foot facility will have a bar and other games as well, including golf simulator equipment, shuffleboard, darts and cornhole.
Cooper said Armory Pickleball is currently setting up its website and social media presence. Details can be found on its Facebook and Instagram pages.
