PHOENIX /PRNewswire/ — It was just a matter of time before the fastest growing sport, pickleball, became America’s most popular export. A new era has begun. Pickleball Kingdom, the nation’s premier and largest entity of indoor pickleball facilities, has just become the world’s first international indoor pickleball franchise company

Pickleball Kingdom has signed a deal with Franchise India Group, the leading company in the world of bringing US brands into the Middle East.  Their agreement will lead to Pickleball Kingdoms initially opening in Dubai, India, and Abu Dhabi, with the rest of the UAE to follow.

Founder and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom, Ace Rodrigues exclaimed, “This is a dream come true. Global expansion was part of the plan from day one, and now we’re here. Currently we have 140+ locations in queue in the United States. With this partnership, we will double that number almost overnight. And this is just the beginning.”

Chairman of Franchise India Group, Gaurav Marya added, “Pickleball is taking the world by storm and Pickleball Kingdom is leading that charge. We’re excited to partner with them and head up this international expansion.”

Franchise India Group is now accepting applications from interested parties to participate in this global movement as franchisees. Venus Barak, CEO of FranGlobal explained, “We are looking for seasoned businesspeople who understand the value of having first market mover advantage. We will have these key stakeholders in place for each territory that we open.”

Pickleball has seen a growth rate of over 224% over the last three years, resulting in an estimated 36.5M pickleball players in the United States alone. And remarkably, 45% of them say they plan on playing more pickleball over the next year, according to YouGov. Universally, the biggest complaint against pickleball is that there aren’t enough courts to meet the demand to play… 

Enter Pickleball Kingdom’s franchise model. These climate controlled, indoor facilities offer lessons, leagues, tournaments, parties, team building events, and refreshments. Members and visitors have the option to reserve courts or participate in open play sessions.

Rob Streett, Pickleball Kingdom’s COO, stated, “Partnering with Franchise India Group gives us the immediate scale and reach to maximize our brand’s immediate entry and impact in the Middle East. We have been very methodical and intentional with our growth. This is just phase one of our expansion plan.”

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CEO Ace Rodrigues concluded, “The time has come. This is our entry onto the international stage. We will be in every country in the world inside of 5 years. One of our value statements is, ‘Pickleball is good for you physically, socially, and spiritually.’ I can’t wait to hear, ‘Welcome to the Kingdom!’ spoken in every language on the planet! Teammates, get ready, the Kingdom is coming!”

SOURCE Pickleball Kingdom

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NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ — As New Yorkers’ passion for pickleball and all things wellness continues to grow, Life Time (NYSE: LTH), is bringing an entirely new experience to office workers, commuters and neighborhood residents in the heart of THE PENN DISTRICT, with the opening of Life Time PENN 1 on April 15.

The completion of the 54,000-square-foot luxury athletic club transforms the street level experience of the recently redeveloped 2.5-million-square-foot PENN 1 office tower with the debut of seven, street level pickleball courts – the most in New York City – along with the unveiling of a massive space for Life Time’s exclusive Alpha, GTX, and UltraFit signature group training programs. The pickleball courts are available for reservations for open play, mixers, leagues, clinics and tournaments and the training space will offer more than 50 classes weekly by the city’s top coaches and personal trainers.

“Life Time continues to gain tremendous momentum across Manhattan and Brooklyn because of our incredible people, programs and places, including this new iconic destination at PENN 1,” said Parham Javaheri, Chief Property Development Officer and President of Club Operations. “The transformation of The PENN DISTRICT has been exhilarating to watch under the expertise of Vornado Realty Trust and brings Life Time to a whole new level in New York. We’re proud to be the wellness anchor for this entire area.”

The opening of the pickleball and training space complements Life Time’s thriving Class Collection boutique studios with nearly 60 classes offered weekly, and a functional training floor featuring state-of-the-art cardio and strength-based equipment, and dedicated spaces for recovery, relaxation and stretching with Life Time’s Dynamic Personal Training team. Members also have access to luxurious dressing rooms with saunas showers, plush amenities and complimentary lockers, and a juice bar with Life Time’s proprietary nutritional products. In total, the club covers a portion of three floors of the office tower.

As part of the redeveloped 55-story building, which sits directly atop Penn Station and serves global office tenants, Life Time is readily accessible to hundreds of thousands of daily commuters, visitors and locals alike.

“Life Time PENN 1 is a core piece of our vision for The PENN DISTRICT as a vibrant and welcoming community powered by the highest-quality amenities and operators,” said Glen Weiss, Executive Vice President of Office Leasing and Co-Head of Real Estate at Vornado. “From health and wellness options to an array of dining selections and inspired social spaces, The PENN DISTRICT offers residents, commuters, and visitors endless ways to come together, day and night and we’re thrilled Life Time Pickleball is a part of it.”

Life Time at PENN 1 is located at 250 West 34^th Street and is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It’s open for anyone to join with a Signature Membership or a Premier Membership, which includes pickleball. Both include access to all Life Time destinations nationwide and in Canada. Day passes are also available.
For additional information, visit lifetime.life/PENN1.

In addition to the completion at PENN 1, Life Time continues to grow its presence in New York City with plans to open Life Time Atlantic Avenue on April 19. Additional planned locations include The Brooklyn Tower and Park Avenue South.

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Life Time debuted in 2016 with Life Time Sky (605 W. 42nd Street). Since then, the Company has opened at the Ocean Residence in Battery Park (1 West Street); in the former New York Health & Racquet clubs at 23rd Street (Between 5th and 6th), NoHo (62 Cooper Sq.), and Midtown (110 W. 56^th Street); the One Wall Street development (29 New Street), and at Front & York in Brooklyn (168 Front St., Brooklyn). Life Time’s opened its first permanent indoor pickleball courts in Manhattan at Life Time Sky in February 2023.

About Life Time®
Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of more than 170 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The health and wellness pioneer also delivers a range of healthy way of life programs and information via its complimentary Life Time Digital app. The Company’s healthy living, healthy aging, healthy entertainment communities and ecosystem serve people 90 days to 90+ years old and is supported by a team of more than 37,000 dedicated professionals. In addition to delivering the best programs and experiences through its clubs, Life Time owns and produces nearly 30 of the most iconic athletic events in the country.

About Vornado Trust Realty
Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum.

SOURCE Life Time, Inc.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. /PRNewswire/ — On April 4, 2024, Vista Residential Partners, a national multifamily development firm headquartered in Atlanta, GA received the City of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., approval for a luxury 221-unit multifamily development, to be known as Gardens Vista Apartments.  

Located at the intersection of Central and Victoria Falls Boulevards, Gardens Vista will sit on 16 acres of the more than 50-acre tract of land known as Cimarron Cove. The community is in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens and lies within 0.5 miles of I-95, and less than 1.5 miles from PGA Blvd and Gardens Mall.

The Mediterranean-style complex will include 131 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom, and 18 three-bedroom apartments. Community amenities feature two pickleball courts, resort style swimming pool, more than one acre of walking trails, spacious gym, interactive game room, golf simulators, co-working space, 24/7 package concierge, vehicle charging stations, and a dog park. Designed by Niles Bolton Associates, the apartments will include stainless steel appliances, 9-foot ceilings, wood plank flooring, in-unit washer and dryers, and much more.

Vista has agreed to include 10% of its units to comply with the City’s workforce housing requirement. This aligns with Vista’s corporate commitment to provide workforce housing with attainable rents for those who want to live, work, and play in a well-planned community with modern units and top of the line amenities.

 According to Vista’s CEO, Eduardo de Guardiola, the approval is the culmination of a two year effort and collaboration between Vista and its consultants, which include Urban Design Studio, Kimley Horn & Associates, Niles Bolton Architects, all of whom worked extensively and alongside the City’s Planning and Zoning Staff to create a development plan that won unanimous approval from the City’s staff and City Council, as well as its neighboring homeowner association.

About Vista Residential Partners: Vista Residential Partners was founded in 2000 by Eduardo de Guardiola, an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in multifamily investments. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Vista Residential Partners has 9 regional offices nationwide with a focus on the acquisition, development, and construction of multifamily and mixed-use communities. Its development pipeline consists of over 5,500 units nationwide, having an aggregate value in excess of $1.5 Billion Dollars.

Media Contact: Natalie de Guardiola, ndg@vistarp.com 

SOURCE Vista Residential Partners

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