Pickleball Bank Opens Four Courts Inside Pennsylvania Mall, Targets League Play

The Pickleball Bank opened inside DuBois Mall on April 2, filling what owners Pat and Nicole Bankovich identified as a 50-mile indoor pickleball void across Clearfield County and the surrounding region of north-central Pennsylvania.

"There's really no dedicated indoor pickleball facility within about a 50-mile radius," Nicole Bankovich said, and that gap is precisely what makes the DuBois location worth the drive for traveling groups. The facility occupies roughly 15,000 square feet of former retail space, combining what was once a Christopher & Banks clothing store and a Shoe Department location inside the mall. Renovations began in January, with months of construction yielding four regulation courts, a half-court warm-up area, locker rooms with showers, a spectator lounge, a reception area and a pro shop stocked with paddles, balls and apparel.

For groups of 8 to 16 players, four courts is an efficient number. All 16 players can run doubles simultaneously; a group of eight can keep two courts live while rotating through the half-court warm-up area alongside the main floor. Every player, whether a member or a first-time drop-in, books time through the Court Reserve app, which handles open play reservations, court rentals and event sign-ups. Groups coordinating a day trip should secure court time through the app before making the drive rather than counting on walk-up availability.

The physical setup backs up what traveling players actually need. Locker rooms with showers remove the post-session scramble, and the spectator lounge gives rotating players or non-playing partners a proper place to land between games. The pro shop covers anyone who forgot gear or wants to demo a paddle before committing to a purchase. Access runs through the mall parking lot behind Old Navy, which puts visitors immediately adjacent to the Garbage Pit restaurant for post-session meals. The interior mall concourse is not the primary entrance.

The Greater DuBois Chamber of Commerce hosted the April 2 ribbon-cutting with state Rep. Mike Armanini and a representative from state Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr.'s office in attendance. A public grand opening on April 4 ran from noon to 6 p.m., featuring vendor demonstrations and free court access.

Nicole Bankovich, who spent more than 30 years in legal research and writing before co-founding the facility, said the programming calendar is built for growth. Leagues, organized open play, court rentals, beginner clinics and community tournaments are all planned. She and Pat discovered the sport as empty nesters at Treasure Lake before deciding the region needed a permanent indoor home for it.

"Pickleball is growing so quickly," Bankovich said. "There are a lot of players in this area that wanted indoor opportunities and more organized events."

With no comparable venue for 50 miles in any direction, The Pickleball Bank is positioned to become the organizing hub for competitive and recreational indoor play across the region well before a rival facility enters the picture.