A Florida developer who opened his first Pickleball Club a few months ago in Sarasota has announced plans for a new center in Orlando as part of the statewide expansion, GrowthSpotter reported.
The Pickleball Club is under contract for a 3.4-acre parcel at 1427 N. Semoran Blvd. between Orlando and Winter Park and east of Baldwin Park. The company will file plans with Orange County for a 33,800-square-foot climate-controlled facility with 12 indoor pickleball courts, 130 parking spaces and a Players’ Courtyard with two outdoor pickleball courts and two bocce ball courts.
The Orlando location will also feature a 3,900-square-foot Players’ Lounge mezzanine overlooking the courts, the company’s own restaurant, Pickle’s Café, and Dink’s Pro Shop.
The club is expected to break ground in June 2024 and open in summer 2025. This would be the company’s eighth location.
“We’re really excited about the Orlando location,” founder Brian McCarthy said. He told GrowthSpotter the company is already scouting locations for additional clubs. “We’re looking to do two or three clubs in Orlando.”
The Pickleball Club’s first location is now open and operating in Sarasota near Lakewood Ranch, with close to 600 members. Other locations under development include Port St. Lucie, which is currently under construction, Bonita Springs, Fort Myers, The Villages, Pinellas Park and Venice.
The company also announced plans for a ninth club in Green Acres in Palm Beach County also scheduled for a 2025 opening.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. and is quickly becoming a standard amenity for new subdivisions and apartment communities. Margaritaville Resort is adding a dozen courts to its recreational offerings. Winter Springs is currently building what would be the largest complex dedicated to the sport in Seminole County with 14 courts capable of hosting tournaments, leagues, and perhaps even a professional team.
The growing popularity of the sport has made it an attractive tenant for second-generation retail space. Earlier this year Crush Yard Pickleball Club signed a lease for the former 50,000-square-foot Winn Dixie store at Formosa Gardens on Osceola County’s W192 corridor. Last month, SC Advisors applied to the City of Orlando for a conditional use permit to open an indoor/outdoor pickleball facility, also with F&B, in a recently-completed 18,900-square-foot flex warehouse in SoDo.
The Pickleball Club’s strategy is to take advantage of the significant unmet demand for a quality indoor sports experience dedicated to pickleball. Each of the company’s clubs are designed to be 34,000 to 50,000 square feet with 12 to 16 indoor pickleball courts, multiple outdoor courts, an outdoor activity center, Dink’s Pro Shop, Pickles Café, luxurious locker room facilities and ample space for socialization.
“I wanted to develop a club concept that caters to people who play frequently,” McCarthy said. The courts will be reserved exclusively for members, but the club will offer youth and adult teaching clinics — Pickleball University — that are open to the public.
Memberships cost $1,000 to join plus $125 per month for individuals. For families, the rates are $2,500 to join plus $250 per month.
McCarthy said each Pickleball Club is designed with 28-foot ceilings, upgraded HV/AC systems that purify the air, enhanced LED lighting and acoustics and cork floors.
“The floors are very expensive,” McCarthy said. “But it’s important because you want it to be the same experience inside and outside to get a consistent bounce. Bounce is really important. The ball doesn’t bounce the same on a gym floor as it does on cork.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
