The former Walmart in West Park Plaza on Lincoln Avenue will see new life and development in the coming months and years. 

The Charleston City Council unanimously approved a zoning change to the property at last week’s meeting. The changes took less than five minutes to approve out of the brief 14-minute meeting. The council approved a second ordinance to divide the plaza into different land parcels to accommodate the development.   

The changes will allow for a new climate-controlled storage center and the construction of a new indoor pickleball facility at the back of the property. A food court will also be added to the property next to Magic Wok. City Manager Scott Smith could not confirm what restaurants may be added, as the project is still in the conceptual stages.   

The construction is set to occur in phases. The facilities will have a modern aesthetic featuring vibrant colors. The storage facility is likely to begin construction this fall, with the pickleball facility and food court being constructed sometime in 2025. Smith said that building permits for the property have not yet been submitted.   

Other changes such as additional parking spaces at the back of the plaza and new landscaping will also potentially be added. City ordinances require a percentage of land used for commercial development for landscaping proportioned to the property’s size. A property the size of the plaza requires 15% of the used land to be dedicated to landscaping.  

Much of the building has remained vacant since the Walmart Supercenter was built on the eastern edge of town in 2000. A portion of the old property became a Habitat for Humanity resale store, which closed earlier this year. Other retail spaces in the plaza are also vacant, which the city aims to have filled with other stores and offices because of the development.   

The project is being led by Chicago-based Spring Property Management LLC, according to property records obtained from the Coles County Assessor’s office. Multiple requests for comment from the developer were not returned. Smith said the developer is not seeking financial assistance from the city for the project. Multiple requests for comment from Mayor Brandon Combs and members of the Charleston City Council were not returned.   

Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, especially post-pandemic. While it is like tennis, there are key differences, such as the dimensions of the court being different, having a different sized net and the use of a flat paddle that is larger than a tennis racket.   

The sport was created in Washington state in 1965 by Joel Pritchard and two of his friends. It was designated as the state sport of Washington in 2022. According to Pickleball USA, there are approximately 12,000 known locations to play pickleball across the country. California, Florida and Texas have the most pickleball courts. Illinois ranks sixth in the nation with approximately 400 locations to play the sport. 

Jacob Hamm can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmhamm@eiu.edu.