St. Pete Athletic, a new pickleball athletic club, is coming to downtown St. Pete. St. The athletic campus will be situated on 1.6 acres near the intersection of Burlington Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, north of the EDGE district.

The facility will have 16 professional pickleball courts (9 being indoor), a full-service restaurant & bar, and amenities such as lockers, showers, pro-shop, gym equipment, lounge seating, cornhole, Spike ball, and more! There will also be areas dedicated to table tennis and Padel, a Mexican racket sport.

Local real estate investor Jonathan Daou, is allowing a team of local entrepreneurs, investors, and pickleball players to utilize his land for St. Pete Athletic. Reuben Pressman will be the managing operation, and Travis Rettenmaier (#12 pickleball professional in the world) will be the resident pro. Jarrett Sabanti, the founder of Intermezzo will be involved with food and beverage.

There are few pickleball courts in St. Pete at this time, and the ones that do exist often lack amenities such as restrooms, lighting, and a lack of courts in one space. There is no location in St. Pete with more than six courts currently. The club will offer all-access memberships, with hourly and daily public access for residents and visiting players.

Membership pricing has not been decided yet, but Pressman states they want to keep it accessible and affordable for all. In addition to priority reservations for courts, memberships will likely hold perks such as bringing guests at no charge, and discounts at the restaurant and bar. In addition to the athletics club, a boutique hotel is being proposed on the property. Doors are expected to open later this year.