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Board approves rooftop PaddleX courts at 1700 Convention Center Drive; applicant to meet engineering and finish review
Summary
The Design Review Board approved a leaseback rooftop pickle‑paddle facility (DRB 26‑1170) at the G5 parking garage (1700 Convention Center Drive). The nine‑court modular facility will be clad in a semi‑transparent PVC skin; the applicant pledged resident programming and free sessions under the city's lease. Staff will review final materials and engineering for wind and hurricane performance during permit review.
The Miami Beach Design Review Board unanimously approved a rooftop paddle‑court facility at 1700 Convention Center Drive on May 14, allowing a modular, enclosed sport venue on the G5 parking garage roof.
Staff described the proposal as an activation of an underutilized rooftop area that will house modular courts beneath a semi‑transparent PVC parametric skin rising roughly 34 ft above roof level. The board's approval was conditioned on staff review of material samples, finishes and final structural and hurricane‑load engineering during building permit review.
Applicant Graeme/Graham Penn and PaddleX representatives said the company had won the city RFP and entered a lease with the city on Jan. 6, 2026. They said the facility is intended to operate as an open public amenity rather than a private club and includes a package of community benefits. "The lease includes a significant number of public benefits including free sessions for residents, reduced rates for residents, youth program, the afterschool program, scholarships," the applicant said during the presentation.
Architects explained the courts are modular and the enclosure combines permanent clubhouse elements with courts that can be installed and later removed without altering the underlying garage structure. The first 12 ft of the enclosure can be opened or closed; PaddleX representatives said the system allows the lower curtain to be raised for ventilation on fair weather days and lowered for wind or rain. "The tent can be electrically brought down or up depending on the weather," a PaddleX partner explained, noting the courts have internal walls and are not solely dependent on the exterior skin.
Board members raised questions about parking impacts, signage and the inflatable skin’s hurricane robustness. Staff and the applicant emphasized the project would impact roughly 167 rooftop parking spaces but leave significant available parking elsewhere in the structure; staff also noted existing ground‑level parking signage and agreed to coordinate with Parking Operations if ground‑level wayfinding should be upgraded. The applicant said lease funds and project resources could be used cooperatively to improve signage.
Motion and outcome: The board moved to approve DRB 26‑1170 with standard permit‑stage conditions for finishes and hurricane/structural review; the motion passed unanimously.
What happens next: Applicant will submit construction documents and structural details for plan check; staff will review the proposed semi‑transparent skin, finishes and anchoring details to meet building code and wind/hurricane design criteria before issuance of building permits.
