Seven years later, closed Fishers Marsh grocery could have new life
How long does it take to repurpose a vacant big-box grocery store on a thriving commercial corridor in a wealthy suburb?
In Fishers, the answer is (possibly) seven years.
The Fishers City Council will consider a proposal Monday to convert a former Marsh grocery into a massive pickleball facility.
The store, at 116th Street and Brook School Road, was among seven Marsh stores in Hamilton County that closed in 2017 after the supermarket chain filed for bankruptcy.
If the council approves a zoning change and subsequent development plans, it will be the last of the shuttered stores in the county to be re-used.
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The owners of 24/7 DINK described the project to the city planning staff as indoor recreation "that will feature state-of-the-art facilities to combine scheduling, social connectivity, and vision AI to deliver a unique pickleball recreational experience."
On its website the company said the 57,800-square-foot building will have 20 pickleball courts open around the clock for rent at rates between $2.50 and $30 an hour, depending on the time of day.
There is no membership fee and courts can be reserved through an app.
The website claims the center “is the first pickleball facility ever of its kind,” and will be “a judgment-free facility perfect to hone your skills and have some fun.”
After Marsh closed, the city council passed an ordinance that required an additional layer of review if the property were to be converted to anything other than another grocery. Officials wanted to avoid uses considered unsuitable for the upscale area, such as flea market or fireworks centers.
Since then the site has sat largely vacant, even has 116th Street west of it has thrived with an IKEA, TopGolf and the Fishers District.
The site was used by the city’s health department in 2021 as a mass vaccination center during the Covid-19 pandemic, but no proposals for full-time development have been made to the city until now.
Other closed Marsh stores have already found new life.
This week, a Neimann Harvest Market opened at a former Marsh on 116th Street in Carmel. In Noblesville at State Road 32 and River Road, the Nexus apartments were built. Part of an ex- Marsh on State Road 37 in Noblesville, is an Urban Air Trampoline and Adventure Park.
At another closed Fishers Marsh site, 116th Street and Allisonville Road, Kroger recently broke ground on a new store.
The proposed pickleball courts will be the latest addition to the growing sport in Fishers.
The site is two miles away from a planned Fishers Community & Recreation Center at 121st Street and Hoosier Road and five miles from pickleball courts at Cyntheanne Park, located at 126th Street and Southeastern Parkway.
In addition, chain restaurant Chicken and Pickle plans to open at the Fishers District expansion, south of 116th Street and east of I-69, and Mashcraft Brewing, located on Allisonville Road, converted part of its parking lot into outdoor pickleball courts.
Roy G. Holland Memorial Park also has pickleball courts.
The city council meets Monday at 7 p.m. at Launch Fishers, 12175 Visionary Way.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on X/Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Seven years later, vacant Fishers Marsh could have new life
