Crush Yard, the only pickleball "eat-ertainment" venue in Central Florida, is addressing pent-up demand from residents and visitors, bringing new life to a once-forgotten strip across from Walt Disney World.
At one point, the Chinese government owned the property on U.S. Highway 192 and operated a theme park called Splendid China. The 48,000-square-foot anchor space sat vacant for roughly a decade until the 10-court Crush Yard opened in December 2024 on the busy east-west artery in the Orlando-area tourist corridor.
The transaction has earned a 2025 CoStar Impact Award for redevelopment of the year for Orlando, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
More than 500 people attended the grand opening, including Crush Yard investors Cole Anthony of the Orlando Magic, former Major League Baseball player Johnny Damon and former NFL player Brian Dawkins.
The facility, featuring a bar, lounge and restaurant, in addition to the pickleball courts, is proving to be a draw for the area and the other tenants. Hundreds of visitors now visit the center daily, with only one shop vacancy remaining.
About the project: The former Winn-Dixie and Goodings grocery store features furniture from Restoration Hardware and Teak & Table.
What the judges said: “The development marries the pickleball craze with the trend to put alcohol alongside all sorts of activities. It is not the first to do it, but it is certainly new to this market,” said Laura Carroll, real estate division manager for the city of Orlando.
“Cost, complexity and risk are the major reasons why good adaptive reuse projects are scarce. To see a project of that scale be successfully completed is reason enough to be considered for redevelopment of the year,” said Jeré Matheny, vice president of brokerage at First Capital Property Group.
They made it happen: Bobby Palta, Blvd Retail; Tyler Brown, Crush Yard; Gary Neal, MEC.