New Cedar Rapids pickleball court and restaurant to open early fall

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Pickle Palace is now set to open in early fall 2023.

Pickle Palace is a pickleball Court and restaurant. The business is under construction, as part of Phase One of the First and First West development, where the city intended to put up a casino that fell through. This phase also includes Big Grove Brewery as well as two buildings that will be mixed-use. Work began in May of last year and is divided in three phases. The whole project costs nearly $100 million and the whole thing won’t be complete until 2030.

Ron Corbett the former mayor of Cedar Rapids and Vice President of Economic Development spoke on how important this project is to not only the city but to the broader community as well.

“The city and the developers never gave up and although 15 years is a long time they never gave up and to finally see this development it should be exciting for everyone not just me,” said Corbett.

The developers behind the project include Nate Kaeding former Iowa and NFL football player who is now Director of Business Development of Build to Suit, Joe Ahmann, president of Ahmann Companies, Matt Swift, CEO and co-founder Big Grover Brewery, and Graig Cone, owner of Pickle Palace and Black Sheep.

Cone says one of the main reasons he got involved in this project was to have his kids, who are now adults, be involved in the development and because he grew up in Cedar Rapids.

“I think even more important than that is it gives them experience to do more projects like this, and I think this city needs more, especially younger people involved in construction projects,” said Cone.

The project is a little behind schedule due to construction costs and adjustments the developers made along the way.

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