Lakewood Ranch is getting a $44 million athletics and aquatics center with two heated pools, 24 pickleball courts and a community room. The facility at Premier Sports Campus North is on track to open in December.

The 44,000-square-foot Athletics & Aquatics Center at 16350 Rangeland Pkwy. has been under construction since February 2025. As of Sept. 23, the pools are full, the pickleball courts are painted and the cement walking trail has been poured, Your Observer first reported. Remaining tasks include moving in furniture, hanging shade sails and turfing the pickleball waiting area.

A specific opening date has not been set.

Molly White, Manatee County's director of Sports and Leisure, has spent the past year and a half monitoring progress from the rooftop of the Lakewood Ranch Library, which overlooks the Premier campus. White said the county plans a community celebration for the grand opening.

"It's been a very smooth process," White said.

Two pools, 832,704 gallons

The centerpiece is a 50-meter competition pool. It exists because swimmers, coaches and parents packed the Manatee County Commission chambers in 2021, persuading the county to scrap its original plan for a smaller 25-meter pool.

Maggie Mooney, a Panther Ridge resident and parent of a Sarasota Tsunami swimmer, told commissioners in June that the facility "will save families countless hours on the road, reduce transportation costs and give parents and athletes more time at home, at school and in our community."

A therapy pool sits alongside the competition pool. Both are heated and equipped with pool lifts for accessibility. Between the two, 832,704 gallons of water need to be pumped. A $1 million geothermal yard regulates the pools' temperature.

Manatee County does not charge residents to use county pools, so individuals can swim for free. Swim teams will pay to use the facility. The Lakewood Ranch Swim Association Lightning, Sarasota Tsunami and Parrish Bull Sharks are planning a swim meet for the grand opening, according to Lightning Coach Steve Lubrino.

Chet Brown, a Manatee County Public Safety division chief, said water polo and underwater hockey teams have also inquired about pool time.

Pickleball, walking trail and community room

Of the 24 pickleball courts, 14 are covered. A shaded hitting wall is also being installed. Players can buy a $35-a-month membership, plus tax, or pay $5 for a two-hour drop-in session. White said the county uses CourtReserve software to track demand and ensure open-play slots stay available.

Memberships include reciprocal access to the G.T. Bray Recreation Center and the John H. Marble Recreation Center, according to county information. Tournaments will take over the full facility about once a month, with two weeks' advance notice.

A walking path wraps around one of the ponds behind the pickleball courts. Tennis courts were not included in the final plans, but White said space remains for them if funding becomes available.

The community room features floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the aquatics area. It can function as one large space or split into two smaller rooms, each with its own TV and access to a catering kitchen. The room will be available for party rentals.

The main building also includes locker rooms, showers, a family room, a lifeguard station and offices. Outside of lifeguards, no more than six full-time employees will staff the facility seven days a week. Parking accommodates about 166 vehicles.

What's next on the Premier North campus

By year's end, Manatee County also plans to complete the Lakewood Ranch Library's second floor, a Sheriff's Office substation and two new synthetic soccer fields on the Premier Sports Campus North site.