Tampa Pickleball Facility Collects Member Dues, Never Opens

Divine Iron promised 12 professional pickleball courts on the second floor of a gleaming 50,000-square-foot fitness facility, all for a killer introductory price to the first 100 lucky members. Then it never opened.

Divine Iron promised to be a gleaming, 50,000-square-foot state-of-the-art gym, training and recovery center, and 12-court pickleball facility located in Tampa’s Westshore District.

The "all women's gym" started marketing its features and amenities last December.

The introductory prices were appealing, including just $79 for monthly pickleball access for the first 100 buyers — a steal to get away from the Florida heat.

Early member dues started rolling in.

But after several fits and starts, WFLA News Channel 8 reports, the business appears to be doomed before it even opened, citing permitting issues with the city.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DIVINE IRON GYM (@divineirongym)

The final communication to paying members reportedly came in October.

“In October was the last email we all received, and they said they were dealing with permitting issues and were waiting for their fire marshal’s supervisor,” one early member told WFLA.

“They were saying all the right things to kind of keep you strung along to see if they were going to open or not.”

Now the social media channels have gone dormant, the pickleball-specific website is down, and a call to the business’s listed number is met with an automated response: “Your calling is currently suspended. Please try later.”

Comments from all Instagram posts from the past 28 weeks also appear to be hidden from public view.

The company’s owner said he plans to return all membership money.

Get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox by signing up for our free newsletter. Click here to subscribe.