Florida Indoor Tennis wants to build a facility with three indoor courts and a clubhouse. [Courtesy]
By Martin Lenkowsky | New Pelican Writer
Pompano Beach – The Planning and Zoning Board approved two major site plans for the city’s western area at its July 25 meeting.
The first plan should make die-hard tennis enthusiasts happy. It calls for an indoor tennis facility to be located just south of Atlantic Boulevard and Northwest 31st Avenue. The request was made by Florida Indoor Tennis, LLC. The private facility will have three indoor courts, a clubhouse and lockers. Outdoor courts might be added at some point in the future. Original plans had also included indoor pickleball courses as well, but those have been dropped.
A rendering of the inside of the planned tennis center. [Courtesy]
The other site plan approved is on the 20-acre Cordish multi-family residential development, on a parcel of land, just north of the Cypress Bend community, which used to be part of the old Isle Casino horse racing track. The proposed project will feature 426 residential units comprised of seven six-story multi-family buildings and 10 two-story townhome style units. The proposed site will also feature a centralized pool/clubhouse, plus amenity areas including a walking path along an existing lake. The community has been specifically designed to be walkable.
The entire redevelopment of the old Isle Casino property is known as The Pomp and has already received approval for other aspects of its redevelopment, including the warehouse space currently being built.
The streets being built within the Cordish development will include bicycle lanes with ample bike racks provided within the proposed community. These residential units will be on a “for sale” basis only. The residences are a Lennar project. Townhome prices will start at $660,000 and go up to $750,000. Condos in the multi-story buildings will range from $400,000 to $650,000.
Board member Robert Hartsell lauded staff for its work on the project. “For me this is what urban planning is all about,” he said, adding that what once was “a racetrack no one went to” will now be used for homes. “Planners have done an excellent job using land that’s still available.”
Neal Feinberg, the president of Florida Indoor Tennis, said when they first envisioned these plans a number of years ago, there were few indoor pickleball courts available; however, that has changed with the sports increasing popularity. As a result of which, many more indoor courts are becoming available. Hence, they’ve revised their plans not to include them. “Our next step is to get building permits and finalizing our plans,” he said. “This is our first facility. I’ve run other clubs in the country, especially in the Northeast.”
Pompano Beach City Commissioner Darlene Smith, whose district includes both approved sites, sees them as a positive step for the community. She’s happy an aesthetically pleasing buffer is already being built between Cordish to the north and Cypress Bend to the south.
With both site plans approved, the next step would be for the developers to initiate the permitting application process.
In her email newsletter, Smith announced that Costco will build a store in The Pomp. Previously, it was rumored that Publix might open a location there.
“This is not just about a new store; it represents a significant boost to our local economy, promising to create between 250 to 300 jobs, with competitive starting wages of $20.50 for cashiers and an average pay (rate) of $26.77,” wrote Smith. She said the plans would be put before the Development Review Committee (DRC) in September and, if approved by the city, the store would open by Fall 2027.