"The Premier Aquatic Center 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 swim parent from Panther Ridge said that to Manatee County commissioners this past June, as reported by Your Observer. She was thanking them. In 2021, swimmers, coaches and parents filled the commission chambers and talked the county out of its original plan for a 25-meter pool. They asked for a 50-meter competition pool instead, and the county built one.

That pool is now full of water, sitting behind the Lakewood Ranch Library. It's one half of the county's Athletics & Aquatics Center at Premier Sports Campus North, which is aiming to open in late December. The other new name in town, Life Time, opened on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard on Oct. 12 and is getting most of the attention. But if you count courts and shaded courts, the bigger new place to play in Lakewood Ranch is the public one. It just opens last.

The County Center Has More Courts, More Shade and a 50-Meter Pool

Here's how the two compare on what matters to someone holding a paddle or a swim cap.

The county center has 10 more courts than Life Time. Fourteen of the county courts sit under shade, compared with eight courts under a roof of some kind at Life Time. A shaded hitting wall goes in beside the covered courts. The Bradenton Herald reports the courts will feel a lot like G.T. Bray Park's, with artificial turf, tables, benches and paddle racks for players waiting on a game.

The pool is 50 meters long. It can run eight lanes lengthwise or roughly 18 widthwise, and a 25-by-15-foot scoreboard at one end can stream races live. A $1 million geothermal yard heats and cools the water. The county doesn't charge residents to use its pools, so individual swimmers get in free. Both the competition pool and the therapy pool have lifts for anyone who needs help getting in and out of the water.

The Price Gap Shows Up on a Calendar

Start with the money. A full year of the county's $35 monthly pickleball membership costs $420. That's $81 more than a single month at Life Time's starting adult rate of $339, as the Bradenton Herald reported. The county's rates match what G.T. Bray already charges. Manatee County also lists G.T. Bray and John H. Marble memberships as reciprocal at the new center, so anyone who already pays at one of those can play at Premier too.

Life Time sells a different product. Court reservations there come with a Signature Membership, and lessons, mixers and leagues cost extra, according to the club's pickleball page. The membership also covers a long list of things the county building doesn't offer:

• Yoga, Pilates and group fitness studios, plus a fitness floor
• A cold plunge, whirlpool, sauna and steam room
• LifeSpa services and a salon
• A LifeClinic with an on-site chiropractor
• A Kids Academy for children
• A cafe, a bar and lounge, and dedicated coworking space
• A roughly 50,000-square-foot beach club with cabanas and poolside service

Junior memberships start at $100 a month for children from 3 months to 11 years old. Your Observer reported that nearly 3,000 members had signed up before the doors opened. The club has more than 200 employees now and expects close to 300 next summer, once the pool is busy.

Life Time is priced for people who want to spend the morning there: play a game, use the sauna, eat at the cafe, answer email in the coworking space. The county center is priced for people who want two hours on a court and then want to go home.

How You Get a Court at the County Center

At the county center, the booking system matters more than the court count. Some courts will always be set aside for open play, and the rest go through a reservation system. How many courts stay open for drop-ins will depend on the time of day. Molly White, the county's director of sports and leisure services, told Your Observer that staff will "watch (the CourtReserve software) to see which times are going to be the most in demand and make sure there's an opportunity for people to drop in."

The Herald reports these general hours, along with open-play times posted in the Court Reserve app:

1. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
2. Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
3. Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Weekday evenings get the longest window. Weekend play ends at 4 in the afternoon. The site has more than 240 parking spaces, and food trucks are planned. A cement walking path runs behind the pickleball courts and loops around one of the ponds. There's also open space back there for tennis courts if the county ever finds the money.

Swim Teams Get the Pool First, and Public Swimmers Share It

The 50-meter pool exists because local swim families asked for it, and they're getting the first race in it. The Lakewood Ranch Swim Association Lightning, the Parrish Bull Sharks Swim Team and the Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team are planning a meet for the grand opening. After that, the Lightning and the Tsunami will move their shared practice lanes from the John Marble Aquatics Center to Premier. The Bull Sharks will keep practicing at the Lincoln Aquatic Center in Palmetto. Water polo and underwater hockey teams have also asked about using the pool.

Teams pay to use the pool. Individuals don't. Chet Brown, the county's Public Safety division chief, told Your Observer, "We'll always have plenty of space between the two pools for the public and the swim teams." Lockers are first come, first served. Inside you'll find locker rooms with showers, a family room for needs such as breastfeeding, and a covered area for swimmers.

The Rest of the Premier Campus Fills In by Year's End

The county is finishing more than the pool and courts. According to Your Observer, the Lakewood Ranch Library's second floor, a Manatee County Sheriff's Office substation and two new synthetic soccer fields are also due by the end of the year. The new center's community room has floor-to-ceiling windows over the pools and can be rented for parties, either as one big room or as two smaller ones. Each half has its own TV and access to the catering kitchen. The library's rooftop, where White has spent many visits watching the construction, can be rented too.

One project won't be part of the celebration. On Sept. 1, county commissioners ended negotiations on Project Grace, the planned 190,000-square-foot ice arena for Premier Sports Campus North. WWSB reported that no new site or replacement proposal was on the table at the time. Your Observer reported that residents had asked for park amenities on the land instead. For now, the land next to the new center has no announced plan.

What December Still Has to Confirm

Construction is mostly done. The structures are built, the pools are full, the courts are painted and the walking path is poured. What's left is furniture, shade sails and turf for the pickleball waiting area. As of the Herald's Oct. 5 report, the county was still working out grand-opening dates. Its location page still listed the facility as under construction. White has described the opening she has in mind as a "fun, community celebration," with open play on the courts and local swimmers in the competition pool. Until the county sets a date, players who want 24 courts at $5 a session should check the county's location page and the Court Reserve app.

New recreation like this changes what a Lakewood Ranch address offers day to day, and it's the kind of detail we follow closely. If you'd like to know how amenities like Premier's new center might factor into what your home is worth, S&J Hill Realtors is glad to help. Start with a home valuation, or read more on our Lakewood Ranch neighborhood page.