Dark Horse, a planned health and fitness facility from ESPN analyst and former college and pro basketball player Steffi Sorensen, has taken its first steps into St. Johns County’s development review process, paving the way for the project team to submit a building permit application.
The County Development Review Committee discussed the project Aug. 5, identifying technical items related to utilities, signage, lighting, transportation and environmental requirements along Greenbriar Road in northwest St. Johns County where the project is planned.
Specifically, comments included providing utility availability documentation, updating various site plan details, addressing lighting impacts near neighboring properties, clarifying roadway improvements and providing additional environmental information.
Matt Phillips of Jacksonville-based Southeast Engineering Group presented the project to the DRC. Chris R. Sorensen Family Trust owns the property where the facility is planned. It was purchased in 2022 for $1.5 million from Michael R. and Heath C. Styduhar.
The review is the latest indication the project is moving forward following the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners’ Nov. 18, 2025, approval of a rezoning request that allowed the project to proceed.
The planned facility will include a health and fitness gym, an indoor turf field building and outdoor training areas, according to its application and site plans.
Several conditions established during the rezoning process also remain part of the project. The facility will operate between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., and pickleball and tennis uses are not permitted. The indoor turf building also cannot have doors or windows along its western side, a condition added after neighboring residents raised concerns about potential noise impacts.
Leading with a legacy
Sorensen, a Jacksonville native, developed the Dark Horse concept around her own athletic career. The name reflects the unexpected path of her basketball journey, according to a spokesperson who previously described Sorensen as the type of player or competitor who exceeded expectations.
“As an ESPN college basketball analyst, Steffi and her colleagues often chose a ‘dark horse’ team or player that you might not expect to upset a ranked team,” the spokesperson said in June 2025. “Steffi felt that the name encapsulated her career — being a walk-on at Florida, for example, and then graduating as team captain and having started every game. Nobody ever expected that she could do that.”
Sorensen played basketball at Bartram Trail High School before starting her college career at Florida Gulf Coast University. She later transferred to the University of Florida.
After her playing career, Sorensen transitioned into sports broadcasting, becoming a college basketball analyst for ESPN and the SEC Network.
She also has ties to the Jacksonville business community through her family’s connection to Firehouse Subs, the restaurant chain founded by her father, Chris Sorensen, and uncle, Robin Sorensen. Sorensen’s sister, Brittany Cooney, is co-owner of two area restaurants: Ember & Iron in Saint Johns and Gemma Fish + Oyster in Jacksonville.
The Dark Horse project combines Sorensen’s athletic background, broadcasting career and family’s Jacksonville business ties in a new health and fitness venture in her hometown.
Next steps
After Southeast Engineering Group addresses the DRC’s technical comments and the plans are certified, the project can move forward with a building permit application. Construction cannot begin until permits are issued and required inspections are completed.
“We’re working closely with the St. Johns County Development Review Committee through the commercial plan review process, and we’re pleased with the positive reception our project has received,” Sorensen said in a statement. “We appreciate the county’s collaboration and look forward to finalizing the review process so we can move ahead with obtaining our building permit.”
According to the St. Johns County Development Review Manual, DRC comments are valid for six months. If they expire, plans must be resubmitted along with applicable fees.