Commission approves preliminary site plan for indoor Oakwood Pickleball Complex; developers tout events and dining

The Ocoee River City Commission unanimously approved a preliminary large-scale site plan on Sept. 16 for what the applicant described as the Oakwood Pickleball Complex on three parcels along Jacob Nathan Boulevard.

The planning staff presentation said the 6.08-acre site is inside the city’s Community Redevelopment Area and sits east of wetlands and a retention pond. The approved preliminary plan converts a prior 44-court outdoor concept the commission denied in 2024 into an indoor-focused facility with three buildings: a main building with 15 indoor courts, mezzanine dining and a pro shop; a second building with 10 indoor courts; and a southern banquet building and championship court. The banquet/banquet-adjacent rentable space is about 8,000 square feet, staff said.

Developer presentation and community feedback Developer representative Ravan Tumala and the applicant team said they reworked the plan after the prior denial to reduce outdoor noise and address parking and circulation concerns. Tumala said the revised facility would be “completely indoor with 25 pickleball tournament style courts” and that the outstanding championship matches would be limited to occasional large tournaments. He said the indoor venue would position the site to attract national tournament promoters and bring event revenue to the city: “We would be able to attract bigger, tournament companies like APP or PPA.”

Staff said the Development Review Committee and Planning & Zoning Commission reviewed the project. The DRC gave a unanimous recommendation of approval of the preliminary site plan after the applicant split the submission into preliminary and final phases; final engineering review will return to staff for final sign-off prior to final site-plan approval. The planning commission held a public hearing Sept. 9; staff said 44 residents attended a community meeting and that public comments asked for a fence at the north property line to deter access to the stormwater facility and a wall on the west side of the building.

Vote and next steps Commissioner Wilson moved to approve the preliminary large-scale site plan and Commissioner Kennedy seconded; the motion carried unanimously. Because the application was accepted as a preliminary plan, the applicant will continue to address final engineering items and return for final plan approval when engineering and technical staff sign off.

Why it matters: The approved indoor complex substantially reduces the project’s outdoor footprint compared with the previously denied 44-court outdoor plan. The complex would house tournaments, regular court play and on-site dining; if constructed as presented, it could shift regional pickleball demand to a private indoor facility and reduce pressure on city parks for large event play.

Project details (as presented in staff materials) - Site area: 6.08 acres (three parcels) along Jacob Nathan Boulevard - Buildings: three structures (main building with 15 indoor courts and mezzanine dining, a second building with 10 courts, and a southern banquet building) - Championship court: 1 outdoor championship court adjacent to the banquet building - Parking and access: revised to provide two ingress/egress points for emergency response; staff requested additional final engineering details for parking ratios and circulation - Landscaping: preservation of existing large canopy trees along the north property line and new canopy/understory planting throughout the site

No conditions were recorded with the preliminary approval; staff will continue final engineering review and return with the full final large-scale site plan when engineering is complete.