A proposed indoor pickleball facility in Palmetto Bay may host nine courts, a sports shop, and a bar serving drinks and food by this November, village manager Nick Marano told Caplin News.
Plans are for the pickleball facility to be built on 2-acres-plus of empty land. Palmetto Bay purchased the site in 2018 to prevent a charter school from being built, and all the school traffic that it would generate, according to The Miami Herald. The village purchased the property for $2.94 million. Initially, a community center was proposed, but it has sat vacant.
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport for the fourth consecutive year, according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. With smaller courts, it started as a hobby for seniors, but has spreadto all ages. Young adults are now the largest age bracket of players.
Last July 7, the village council voted 3-2 to approve an unsolicited bid from Diadem Sports, to manage an indoor pickleball court on the site. The council awarded the $3.3 million construction contract to Waypoint Contracting.
Jorge Lopez, owner of Waypoint Contracting, declined to comment on the progress and status of the construction. He referred questions to Village Manager Marano.
“The project is currently in the design and permitting phase,” said Marano, adding that the steel building will be assembled on site, with the prefabricated structure already ordered. Marano said construction should “be complete before November.”
“That’s our goal,” he said, “but as with any construction project, things can change and timelines can be modified.”
The new facility comes while Palmetto Bay has nearby pickleball courts at Palmetto Bay Park, and construction continues at Coral Reef Park for more courts.
Village Councilwoman Marsha Matson told Caplin News that she voted against the project because she found it to be “high cost, low demand, and long-term contract for a private operator.” She said the village would pay for construction but a private vendor, Diadem Sports, would run the facility.
Per the Revenue Share and Management Agreement signed between Diadem Sports and village hall last September 8, Diadem Sports would pay $1 million for the initial building of the facility. Once constructed, the company will receive 90% of operating revenue, with its share decreasing slightly over several years.
Some residents and officials are skeptical.
Councilwoman Matson also said the initial cost of purchasing the land should factor into the cost of construction, raising the real cost to about $6 million on village hall’s end.
“Why spend this much for something that only a small handful of citizens can enjoy?” asked Linda Cannella Miller, a local resident. “And we will have to pay to get a court. This is not for the community.”
