Billionaire investor Nelson Peltz is trying again to build a padel court at his Palm Beach estate, and once again the town isn't ready to say yes. The Palm Beach Architectural Commission this week delayed a vote on the merits of the proposal and sent it back for restudy, with members telling the Peltzes they'll need a better plan than simply placing the court on top of their existing basketball court.
The pushback, Palm Beach Daily News reports, marks the latest chapter in a saga that has already cost Nelson and Claudia Peltz thousands of dollars. According to that outlet, the commission's message was blunt: commissioners indicated the couple would need to come up with a better plan than just plopping the new court atop their basketball court. The board deferred the plans for restudy rather than ruling on their merits outright.
This isn't the first padel headache for the Peltzes. The Miami Herald reports that the couple previously built an oceanfront padel court at 548 N. County Road without the town's approval, a facility that prompted a code-violation case. Per that outlet, the Town Council denied the Peltzes' attempt to obtain retroactive approval for that facility in January, and the couple tore down the oceanfront court over the summer.
A Costly Lesson From the Last Court
The fallout from that earlier court was steep. The station's report notes the Palm Beach Code Enforcement Board had imposed a $250 daily fine over the unauthorized structure, a penalty that was applied retroactively to Oct. 30 and stood at $6,750 as of Nov. 25, according to town records. The concrete slab base was built in June 2024, but the Peltzes never secured the special exception tied to the court's actual use, officials said. The code-violation case was first addressed in October.
Neighbors played a role in that earlier dispute, too. Per the Miami Herald's reporting, Michael and Kimberly Cantanucci had complained about noise from players at the previous padel court, a grievance that appears to have shaped the Peltzes' latest approach.
The New Proposal, And Why Neighbors Are Still Objecting
This time, the Peltzes are eyeing a different spot: the west side of their estate, atop an existing basketball court near the northern property line, east of their 25,629-square-foot guesthouse at 542 N. County Road, according to the Miami Herald. The proposed facility would measure about 40 feet by 70 feet and include artificial turf surrounding the court, with glass walls similar to those common in the sport. Padel itself blends elements of tennis, racquetball, squash and pickleball, and a regulation-size court runs about two-thirds the size of a standard tennis court, the outlet notes.
Architect Kyle Bartholemew Kant presented the new plans to the commission, and attorney Maura Ziska said the location was chosen specifically to ease neighbors' noise concerns, per the Miami Herald. But not everyone is convinced. Attorney Chris Larmoyeux, who lives at 217 Tangier Ave., opposed the project in a letter to the town, writing that relocating essentially the same use across the street to the guest-house parcel does not resolve the underlying problem. Commissioner K.T. Catlin summed up the board's skepticism simply: if you're going to do it, do it right, according to the outlet.
The commission ultimately required removal of the remaining basketball hoop and all other traces of the basketball court, along with landscaping around the padel court's glass walls meant to dampen playing noise. The project was deferred to the commission's October 28 meeting, the Miami Herald reports.
A Pattern Across Palm Beach's Padel Boom
The Peltzes aren't alone in navigating the town's rules around the sport. Palm Beach has approved padel courts elsewhere, including one at casino mogul Steve Wynn's estate at 1960 S. Ocean Boulevard, according to Palm Beach Daily News. But some proposals have been delayed.
Who Is Nelson Peltz?
The Peltzes' 13-acre estate sits in Palm Beach's north end, per Palm Beach Daily News. The estate has hosted notable family milestones, including the 2022 wedding of Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham, according to the Miami Herald.
Nelson Peltz is the former chair of Wendy's and co-founder of Trian Fund Management and Trian Partners, which maintains an office in Palm Beach. Forbes.com estimates his net worth at $1.5 billion, though Palm Beach Daily News reported Forbes recently put the figure at $1.6 billion.
