PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — In October, the City of Palm Beach Gardens approved a $43 million facility to be built next to North County District Park.
The non-profit Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation won the bid to build a 200,000 square foot state-of-the-art facility.
"The city needs this, the county needs this, the area needs this," said Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation President Michael Winter.
The foundation said its goal is to enhance youth athletics for decades to come. The goal is to offer sports like volleyball, squash, basketball, and ice sports, as well as dance studios and a fitness center.
"I kind of view it as a community center with a sports biased. If you look at our floor plan it’s a two-story facility, the second story is going to be all glass," said Winter.
The facility will be open to the public and the goal is for all 12 neighboring municipalities to use it.
"All of the communities have been expanding over the years and all of the facilities are a little slower to catch up. You know, anyone can access the facility. It’s going to be a treasure to the north county once it’s completed," said Palm Beach Gardens deputy leisure services Daniel Prieto.
Plans also call for party rooms, a restaurant and bar, as well as indoor rock wall.
“As a father now my sons play lacrosse at the JTAA in Jupiter, they play soccer in Palm Beach Gardens, hockey in West Palm, what is great about this facility is we are right on this District Park,” said Winter.
Unlike other facilities in South Florida, this one has received a long term financial commitment and partnership from Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) that touts on its website as being ranked #1 in the country for orthopedics.
“The mission of HSS is to improve quality of life by improving quality of movement and that fits so perfectly with our mission which is to provide a world class recreation facility where people can come to achieve all their sports and wellness goals,” said Rachel Godino.
Godino is a former Olympian who is now part of the nonprofit hoping to bring the facility to northern Palm Beach County.
"There’s a sport for everyone and I was fortunate to have access to a sport that was right for me and I was able to achieve my goals and ultimately make the olympic team and I’m so excited about this facility because it provides people throughout our community an opportunity to have access to sports that they don’t today,” said Godino.
The facility still requires county approval but it can go through with its plans. However, the goal is to have it complete by the Summer of 2022.
For more information about Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, click here.
For more information about the Hospital for Special Surgery, click here.