South Florida’s First ‘Purpose Built’ 23-Court Pickleball Facility Planned for Boca Raton

Renderings of the future Boca Paddle pickleball facility, approved for the future North Park. (Planning Document)

Pickleball has taken the nation by storm, and few locales find themselves at the center of the trend like those in South Florida. But to date, the region has yet to see the construction of a purpose-built pickleball facility – something that officials hope will change soon now that the plans for the development of North Park have been approved by the city’s planning board.

Boca Paddle, the proposed privately-owned business, would be constructed within a 5.23-acre parcel within the overall 74-acre property that is planned to become a park, complete with playgrounds, bicycle and walking trails, fitness equipment, a dog park and pedestrian tunnel access. The park – and Boca Paddle – will be situated at what was previously known as the Ocean Breeze golf course, located at 5800 NW 2nd Avenue.

Renderings of the future Boca Paddle pickleball facility, approved for the future North Park. (Planning Document)

“This is the first ground-up, purpose-built pickleball facility in South Florida,” said attorney David Milledge, representing Boca Paddle before the board. “We believe this is going to be a boost to tourism.”

The facility notched a 5-0 approval by the board last week following the approval of the park project as a whole, which was covered in a separate story.

Boca Paddle will be a 46-foot tall building that will contain a 77,218 square foot paddle and pickleball facility. The complex will include 14 indoor pickleball courts, two indoor paddle courts, nine outdoor pickleball courts, locker rooms, food and beverage service and other site improvements, including a new surface parking area.

The Boca Paddle Site is proposed to be developed by a private entity, Boca Paddle LLC, which has entered into an operation agreement with the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District to operate the proposed recreational facility. Led by local physician and medical device entrepreneur Stewart Davis, the business will remain in private hands for operational purposes but the city will retain ownership of the facility and the land on which it is built.

The property is a portion of the Ocean Breeze Golf Course that has been left vacant for several years since its closure and was purchased by the city in 2018.

The future North Park in Boca Raton, a former golf course, Sept. 2024. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The planning board granted its approval to the project last week, including a variance that will allow for the building to exceed the 25-foot height limit normally required in the city’s recreational zone. Access to the site will be via a shared entry point with the North Park site located on Jeffrey Street. The pickleball facility will include 139 spaces, above the required 110 spaces, exceeding the goal of four spaces for each court and one space for each employee. There will be an additional 22 spaces for bicycle parking reserved at the facility.

Boca Paddle is expected to be busy, according to planning documents, with a traffic study indicating the business will generate 693 net trips daily by vehicle, with 97 occurring during the morning peak and 103 during the evening peak.

The facility still has some hurdles to clear before construction can begin. First, the city must fund and start work on North Park itself, and Boca Paddle will need to have its plans reviewed by the Community Appearance Board and obtain building permits from the city.