HomeMy WebLinkAboutProject Narratives - 01/22/20254401 INNOVATION DRIVE PICKLEBALL FACILITY PLANNING NARRATIVE
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Overall Project Descrip on
The Applicant, Zero Zero Two is proposing Indoor & Outdoor Pickleball Recrea onal Use Facility
located at 4401 Innova on Drive (parcel # 8731408019). The subject property is generally located
at the northeast intersec on of Monte Carlo Drive and Innova on Drive being directly adjacent
to and north of Colorado Early Colleges High School and south of Golden Meadows Park. ZZT is
proposing to repurpose and renovate a por on of an exis ng 60,000 sq. . vacant building into
an Indoor & Outdoor Pickleball Recrea on Facility. The pickleball building renova on will be
approximately 32,000 sq. . and will include renova ons to its associated site area. The
remaining approximate 28,000 sq. . building area will remain vacant un l such me that a future
use has been determined. The pickleball facility is proposed to include 11 indoor and 6 outdoor
courts, a grab & go food café, pro shop, lounge area, coffee bar and support uses such as offices,
mee ng rooms and restrooms.
The site is approximately 0.31 mile west of South Timberline Road and approximately 0.20 mile
north of East Harmony Road. Access to the subject property will be from Innova on Drive north
through the adjacent Colorado Early Colleges property. The subject project is located in the
Harmony Corridor – HC Zone District and is subject to a Major Site Plan Amendment along with a
combined FDP Submi al and Type II Development Review Hearing.
As men oned above the property is located in the Harmony Corridor (H-C) Zone District and is
subject to the requirements of Ar cle 4, Division 4.6 of the Fort Collins Land Use Code (LUC). The
Harmony Corridor District is intended to implement design concepts and a land use vision, which
creates an a rac ve and complete mixed-use area, focused on major employment uses. Based
on the proposed use as an Indoor & Outdoor Pickleball Recrea on Facility the Major
Amendment/FDP would be considered as a secondary use in the Harmony Corridor District. As
stated in the Harmony Corridor Zone District standards secondary uses shall occupy no more than
twenty-five (25) percent of the total gross area of the development plan. As such, the applicant
has previously prepared and submi ed to City Staff for their review a detailed analysis of the
Golden Meadows Business Park primary and secondary uses (see the a ached Permi ed Use
Analysis). The findings of this Permi ed Use Analysis demonstrates that the addi on of the
proposed pickleball facility, in addi on to all other exis ng secondary uses located within the
Golden Meadows Business Park Development Plan, meets the intent of the secondary use
requirements of the Harmony Corridor Zone District.
Project Background
The Applicant and Developer, Zero Zero Two (ZZT) is posi oned to take advantage of a unique
market opportunity in Fort Collins. While Pickleball par cipa on has exploded over the last 5
years, Fort Collins has no dedicated indoor pickleball facili es. ZZT will address that significant
market need.
The two owners of the proposed pickleball opera on, Neil Bellefeuille and Michael Zervas, bring
decades of experience in crea ng, building, and managing start-up enterprises, including
successful ownership experience with adver sing agencies, franchising, hospital administra on,
emerging market business development, and consultancies.
ZZT will owner occupy approximately 36,000 square feet of indoor space and 12,000 square feet
of outdoor space located at 4401 Innova on Drive. Renova ons to the exis ng building and site
will allow for the installa on of 11 indoor and 6 outdoor premium courts. The courts will be
designed to meet Na onal Pickle Ball Standards, thus allowing for Regional and Na onal
Tournaments. These tournaments are an excellent source of revenue and provide significant
exposure for the Local Club as well as the City of Fort Collins.
The opportunity for success in this venture might best be exemplified by the overwhelming
posi ve community response. Specifically, ZZT has already secured approximately $170k in
presold memberships simply through word of mouth. Addi onally, community members have
subscribed over $2 million to complete the purchase of the targeted space.
ZZT will rely primarily on a membership model for revenue with membership prices ered to meet
the dis nct needs of all players. ZZT will also offer individual and group lessons, drill classes, food
and beverage sales, local, regional, and na onal tournaments, sponsorships, equipment and
clothing sales, and corporate events.
The Pickleball Recrea on Market
Pickleball has been the fastest growing sport in the US over the past 3 years. While no sport or
sector can grow at that rate indefinitely, pickleball is forecast to maintain a 7.7% compound
annual growth rate through 2028. And there are several factors that make pickleball unique in its
long-term viability:
The fastest growing cohort (29% na onally) are players aged 18-34.
Because it puts more emphasis on technique rather than athle cism, players can
par cipate well into their 70's.
Pickleball is a uniquely social endeavor. And that connec on with one’s playing group
makes it extremely unlikely for people to stop playing the game.
Extrapola ng from na onal averages, ZZT es mates that Fort Collins has roughly 12,000 pickleball
players, and yet currently there are no dedicated year-round indoor/outdoor venues in the Fort
Collins market. Current local op ons consist solely of:
Twin Silos & City Park: 8 outdoor courts. Not viable during winter, rain, or winds.
Fort Collins Senior Center & Northside Aztlan Community Center: Mul -use basketball
courts with limited hours and availability.
The Picklr (Loveland): 9 court indoor-only facility at outer edge of market area.
NORCO Volleyball: Mul -use volleyball courts with limited hours and availability.
Outdoor-only dual-striped Tennis courts: ~20 public outdoor courts with dual-use striping.
Not viable during winter, rain, or high winds.
Project Cultural & Economic Benefits to the City of Fort Collins
In addi on to bringing a new ac ve lifestyle venue and new job crea on to the City of Fort Collins,
ZZT envisions hos ng mul ple Regional and Na onal Tournaments at the facility each year,
drawing hundreds of compe tors, thousands of spectators, and hundreds of thousands of dollars
to the City of Fort Collins.
In fact, the first of these tournaments, The Professional Pickleball Associa on (PPA) Challenger
Series “Fracas in Fort Collins”, has already been booked at Zero Zero Two for September 26 th –
28th, 2025. The PPA is a global governing body of men and women’s professional pickleball. Their
Challenger Series is touring the country with more than a dozen stops in 2025, and will offer
amateur and aspiring professional pickleball players a chance to earn their way onto the PPA Tour.
ZZT has been working closely with Visit Fort Collins on the proposed project , ZZT es mates the
economic benefits for this single PPA tour to be somewhere between $500,000 and $800,000 of
added visitor revenue to the City of Fort Collins.
For these very reasons, it is crucial to ZZT that the proposed Pickleball Ventures Major
Amendment and FDP move through the Development Review Process quickly and efficiently.
Addi onally ZZT believes it is also in the best interest to the City of Fort Collins as well given the
upcoming Professional Pickleball Associa on Challenger Series scheduled for September 26th –
28th, 2025 and the significant community exposure and economic benefit it will provide to the
City.
4401 INNOVATION DRIVE DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION STATEMENT
4401 Innovation Drive is expected to begin construction in the 2nd quarter of 2025.
ZZT will redevelop and renovate approximately 32,000 sq. ft. of the existing building
include renovations to its associated site area. The Renovation of the existing
building and site area will include 11 indoor and 6 outdoor courts, a grab & go food
café, pro shop, lounge area, coffee bar and support uses such as offices, meeting
rooms and restrooms.
The remaining portion of the building being approximate 28,000 sq. ft. building
area will remain vacant until such time that a future use has been determined.
4401 INNOVATION DRIVE PICKLEBALL FACILITY LAND USE ANALYSIS
Permitted principal uses (from Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines) in the Basic
Industrial and Non-Retail Employment Activity Center shall be limited to:
Research facilities, testing laboratories, offices and other facilities for research and
development
Industrial uses
Hospitals, clinics, nursing and personal care facilities
Regional, national, or international headquarters of a services-producing organization
Vocational, business or private schools and universities
Professional offices
Finance, insurance and real estate services
Other uses of similar character as determined by the Planning and Zoning Board. (+)
Uses in the Golden Meadows Business Park meeting Principal Use criteria (with lot sf):
Golden Meadows Park: 307,138 + 199,038
Kruse Elementary School: 423,856 + 42,630 + 54,900
Colorado Early College Campus: 97,529 + 67,739
Electric Power Transponders (Industrial): 205,803
Rexel Electrical (Industrial. Commercial electric supply): 45,846
Pet Dine (Industrial. contract manufacturing partnership and products): 33,893
Grainger Industrial Supply (Industrial): 69,081 + 39,398 + 36,117
Chiropractic Fort Collins (Clinic): 60,121 + 30,000
Colorado Early College administrative offices (Offices): 30,000 + 29,519 + 32,271
TOTAL PRINCIPAL USES PLAT SF: 1,804,879 SF
Permitted secondary uses (from Harmony Corridor Standards and Guidelines and LUC
2.5.1.B) shall be limited to:
Hotels/motels
Sit-down restaurants
Neighborhood Convenience Shopping Centers
Child care centers
Athletic clubs
Single family and multi-family housing
Accessory buildings and uses as defined in Section 29-456 of the Code. (+)
a. Community facilities.
b. Public facilities.
c. Child care centers.
d. Print shops.
e. Food catering.
f. Workshops and custom small industry uses.
g. Residential uses (except mixed-use dwellings when the residential units are stacked
above a primary use which occupies the ground floor).
h. Lodging establishments.
i. Convenience shopping centers.
j. Standard restaurants.
k. Bed and breakfast establishments.
l. Clubs and lodges.
m. Health and membership clubs.
n. Convention and conference centers.
o. Places of worship or assembly.
p. Limited indoor recreation establishments.
q. Unlimited indoor recreation use and facility.
r. Food truck rally.
s. Microbrewery/distillery/winery.
t. Seasonal overflow shelters.
Existing and Proposed Uses in the Golden Meadows Business Park meeting Secondary Use
criteria (with lot sf):
Rocky Mountain Archery: 27,600
Subject Lot (4401 Innovation Drive): 203,952
TOTAL SECONDARY USES PLAT SF: 231,552 SF
SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL vs SECONDARY PERMITTED USES
TOTAL GOLDEN MEADOWS BUSINESS PARK PLAT LAND AREA: 2,036,431 SF
TOTAL SECONDARY USES PLAT LAND AREA (including the subject property): 231,552 SF
PERCENTAGE OF SECONDARY USES: 11.37% of TOTAL LAND