Lakewood Ranch’s Entertainment District: What’s Open Now and What’s Coming in 2027
Buying Advantages Theresa DiNapoli November 5, 2026
Buying Advantages Theresa DiNapoli November 5, 2026
Professional Parkway now has a 60,000-square-foot trampoline park in the middle of it. The lot just north of that park has been under construction since March, and the lot just south is waiting on a building with a lawn stage. Across Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, Life Time's new athletic country club opened on Oct. 12.
The district has started, but only partly. The largest piece open so far requires a membership. The pieces built for a night out, open to anyone who walks in, arrive in 2027.
Life Time opened its Lakewood Ranch club on Oct. 12, 2026, at 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. N. The campus covers more than 180,000 square feet: an 86,000-square-foot club, a beach club of nearly 50,000 square feet and a pickleball retreat of about the same size.
The club includes:
Membership is the price of admission. Life Time's website lists adult memberships starting at $339 a month, and the company kept capacity limited by enrolling members from a waitlist before opening.
For members, it's a resort-style club a few minutes from home. For neighbors without a membership, it's a large new building on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, at least until the rest of the district opens.
None of this landed by accident. Amanda Zipperer, director of property management and leasing for Lakewood Ranch Commercial, has said an entertainment district was part of Lakewood Ranch's long-term development plan for years.
The owners have planned around each other, too. Urban Air Adventure Park, which opened in September 2025, is the largest of more than 400 Urban Air locations in the country. It has trampolines, a climbing area, laser tag, battle beams, a ninja course and mini-carts for younger children. Owner Michael Tucci chose mini-carts instead of go-karts, because go-karts are SkyTrack's main attraction. "We should all partner together," Tucci told the Business Observer.
That kind of planning has a downside on the calendar. If each venue skips what the others offer, the district works as a full evening only once all of them are open. Today, Urban Air covers younger kids and Life Time covers its members. The adult night out and the teen go-kart night belong to the two buildings still under construction.
Backyard Social is the piece built for a weeknight with friends. The 12,500-square-foot venue is going up at 6400 Professional Parkway, just south of Urban Air. Following the format of the original in Fort Myers, plans include:
Owner Mat Baum and his partner John Mann opened the first Backyard Social in Fort Myers in 2023. Baum already has a restaurant in Lakewood Ranch: he co-owns Agave Bandido at Waterside Place with Matt Faul, chief operating officer of Wolverine Management. When Agave Bandido was announced in 2022, Baum explained the appeal: "People want to have an exciting dining experience without driving half an hour into the city."
In March, Baum told Your Observer he was aiming for mid-November 2026. In September, a spokesperson told the Bradenton Herald the team was now looking at early 2027. Backyard Social's website now says "Winter 2027."
SkyTrack is the largest project still underway, and it has a connection to The Lake Club. Co-owner Dr. Wael Alokeh, an internist, lives there. His wife, Jennifer Alokeh, is his partner in the project.
The plans call for a 70,000-square-foot building. Its centerpiece is an indoor electric go-kart track that winds across three stories for more than half a mile. The building is also planned to include more than 85 arcade and virtual reality games, a 16-lane bowling alley, an indoor mini-golf course, a full-service restaurant, two bars and an outdoor stage.
Jennifer Alokeh described the gap they wanted to fill: "Lakewood Ranch has rapidly grown and has become one of the best places to live, but there's no bowling alley or go-karts."
The Lake Club already has its own social center, the Grande Clubhouse. SkyTrack and Backyard Social are designed for what a private clubhouse doesn't handle well: a teenager's birthday party, a bowling league, or a band on a lawn on a weeknight.
From now through the holidays, the district's options are narrower than the full plan, but there are a few clear choices:
For the 2027 calendar, Backyard Social's posted window is winter, and SkyTrack's projected date is May 1.
If you're weighing how close you want to be to Professional Parkway as the district fills in, or how a Lake Club home compares with other Lakewood Ranch villages, Theresa DiNapoli can walk you through the area. Schedule a consultation to talk it through.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Buying Advantages
Life Time is open, Urban Air is running, and Backyard Social and SkyTrack are coming in 2027. Here’s the Lakewood Ranch entertainment district timeline.
Infographics
Buyers
Lakewood Ranch
Residents Reshaped the Rangeland Parkway Campus. Here's What It Means for the Neighborhoods Next Door.
Buyers
Baby Boomers
Four Campuses on the Site Plan: A Real-World Guide to Star Farms Amenities
Buyers
Theresa DiNapoli is a Lakewood Ranch REALTOR® specializing in golf, lifestyle, and relocation communities throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties. With a strong financial background, local market knowledge, and an eye for staging, she helps buyers and sellers understand their options, negotiate confidently, and navigate every step with transparency and personal guidance. Whether you are buying, selling, or coordinating both, Theresa will help you create a clear strategy—and start living your best life in Florida.