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Board approves 77,000‑sq‑ft Boca Paddle pickleball/padel facility inside North Park
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval of Boca Paddle — a 77,218‑sq‑ft paddle and pickleball facility with 14 indoor and 11 outdoor courts — as a conditional use and site plan. Neighbors raised traffic, noise and environmental concerns; the board approved the conditional use and site plan (5–1 each).
The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval for Boca Paddle, a two‑story, approximately 77,218‑square‑foot paddle and pickleball facility proposed within the newly approved North Park. Staff said the facility would include 14 indoor pickleball courts, two indoor padel courts, nine outdoor pickleball courts, locker rooms and food and beverage service; the parcel is roughly 5.24 acres of the larger North Park site.
The Beach & Park District will own the facility and operate it via a concession agreement with a private operator, the applicant said. The district and applicant told the board the facility’s indoor courts are intended to limit noise impacts, and that the outdoor courts are located on the east side of the building to provide additional buffering from the adjacent condominium tower.
Public concerns centered on increased traffic along NW 2nd Avenue (already prone to backups and flooding), the potential for outdoor‑court noise and nighttime lighting, tree removal, and the scale of parking and surface paving. One resident told the board that surface parking and hardscaping can increase heat and anthropogenic impacts in the area and urged a stronger environmental mitigation plan. The applicant said the facility will include independent on‑site parking and that the park traffic and access improvements required for North Park will serve the site.
The board approved the conditional use and the site plan by votes of 5–1. Supporters on the board cited community demand — the parks district reported a poll indicating many residents requested pickleball courts — while opponents cited unresolved operational, traffic and noise questions that should be addressed before construction.
What happens next: The board’s approvals move to City Council for final action and any required refinements to conditions and operational agreements will be addressed during permitting and concession negotiations.
