The Sports Venue Opening Up Congress Avenue From Atlantis in 2027 Has Ten Sand Courts

The old softball field at Palm Beach State College's Lake Worth campus, 4200 S. Congress Ave., is under construction. The college's facilities list dates the start to July 16, 2026. When it opens, the site will hold ten competition-grade sand courts, seating for more than 1,000 people, and a 32-by-18-foot LED video board.

Atlantis sits on the same Congress Avenue corridor, and most of the campus sports news this year has been about a professional soccer stadium. That stadium is still a proposal. The Baptist Health Beach Volleyball Complex is the project on campus with a builder, a sponsor and an opening window, and it is the one that will change what you see on Congress Avenue in 2027.

What Is Going Up on the Old Softball Field

Palm Beach State held the groundbreaking on April 16, 2026, with Baptist Health executives, college leaders and elected officials there. According to the college's announcement, the 2.5-acre complex is built to championship standards and wired for live broadcasts. Here is what the plans include:

• Ten competition-grade sand courts
• Professional Musco LED lighting
• Seating for more than 1,000 spectators
• A 32-by-18-foot LED video board, which the college calls "the heart of the fan experience"
• Space for tournaments, special events and recreational programming

The main tenant is the college's women's beach volleyball team, which won its fourth straight NJCAA national championship on May 2, 2026. Until now that program has competed without a dedicated home venue. Peter Barbatis, the college's vice president for student services and enrollment management, said in the announcement that "nearly all of our peers already have dedicated facilities."

The complex will also host youth and community tournaments, and the college expects it to draw collegiate and professional-level volleyball. No public schedule, court-booking system or operating hours have been announced yet.

Three Sources, Three Opening Dates

The opening date depends on which document you read. Palm Beach State's April release says "early 2027." WPBF reported that the college planned to finish all three construction phases by February 2027, in time for the beach volleyball season. The facilities project list in the trustees' October 20, 2026 board packet gives March 31, 2027 as the end of construction.

These dates fit together. A team can start playing on new courts while crews finish the last details. The March 31 date is the latest one on the college's own schedule, and it is the one to plan around.

The same list shows the money. The project budget is $4,373,539, the construction cost is $5,122,295, and the funding source is listed as "multiple." Baptist Health's name is on the complex in recognition of its financial support. Pirtle Construction lists the project on its project page.

The Lights and Scoreboard Went to the Board in October

The October 20, 2026 trustees' agenda had two action items for the volleyball complex. The agenda shows they were scheduled for approval.

Both staff memos say the lease payments will come from current sponsorship-agreement revenue. Bank financing for a stadium's lights and video board means the people involved expect night events and a crowd. The memos do not list game times or public hours, though.

The Soccer Stadium Has Had Board Updates but No Lease Vote

The stadium idea started with an unsolicited proposal from Palm Beach Sports Management, a North Palm Beach company, dated March 6, 2026. It asked for a 50-year ground lease with two 25-year renewal options. In return, the company offered to build a privately financed stadium with 6,000 to 8,000 seats on about 10 to 12 acres, with a budget of $50 million to $60 million and no college funding. News coverage has mostly used the 8,000 figure. The Lake Worth Beach Independent reported the proposed site as the southeast corner of the campus along Sixth Avenue South.

Here is how the formal record has gone since then:

1. June 4. The college published a public notice requesting competing proposals and described the stadium as subject to evaluation, due diligence, approvals and the campus master plan.
2. July 24. The Lake Worth Beach Independent reported that the college had found the competing submissions from Oak View Group and Sport Surfaces non-responsive and planned to negotiate a possible lease with Palm Beach Sports Management.
3. August 3. The college's facilities list showed the "LW-SITE- Sports Complex - P3" as a study, with budget, funding and construction dates all marked "TBD."
4. August 13. The Palm Beach Post reported that the college had chosen the soccer stadium over a rival plan for a 10,000-seat arena with an ice rink.
5. August 18 and September 15. The project came up as a Palm Beach Sports Management update in the president's report, and the September minutes record that President Ava Parker gave it. No lease vote was listed among the action items.

On October 20, the volleyball complex had its two financing items up for approval. That agenda listed no Palm Beach Sports Management item.

The July 2027 Target Depended on a Date That Has Passed

The developer's proposal set a completion target of July 1, 2027. That target assumed the proposal would be accepted and an agreement reached by April 1, 2026. The timing was meant to let the women's team start playing after the FIFA Women's World Cup in June and July 2027.

April 1 came and went more than seven months ago, and no lease has been voted on. In July, an attorney for the company told the Lake Worth Beach Independent that his clients wanted the stadium open "by next summer." None of the board records since then confirm an opening season.

Palm Beach Sports Management says it holds United Soccer League franchise rights for a men's team and a women's team in Palm Beach County. Its proposal does not name either team. The league levels most often mentioned, the USL Championship for men and the USL Super League for women, come from a 2023 WPBF report, not from a recent announcement.

On traffic, the proposal says games would mostly be on Friday nights and weekends, with occasional weeknights when classes are not in session. It also says the company would coordinate campus parking for big events. It does not include a specific access plan for Congress Avenue or Sixth Avenue South.

The Two Projects Side by Side

For anyone in Atlantis, the near-term change on Congress Avenue is a lit sand-court venue with 1,000 seats, scheduled to finish by spring 2027. The larger stadium is still at the study stage. As the Lake Worth Beach Independent put it in July, the teams would play on the Lake Worth campus only "if a lease can be negotiated and approved."

If you're curious how projects along the Congress Avenue corridor could affect the value of your Atlantis home, Joanna K Realty is glad to talk it through. Get your free home valuation or schedule a consultation, and we'll keep you posted as the college's plans develop.