Annapolis creates space for Pickleball fans at local mall
BALTIMORE -- The Nordstroms parking lot at the Westfield Annapolis Mall was busy on Thursday, for the first time since it shut down—and it's all thanks to the sport that seems to be taking over the world.
Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce president, Mark Kleinschmidt, kicked off the evening with a reference to Field of Dreams.
"He knew if he built it, they would come," Kleinschmidt said.
What was once parking spaces at the Westfield Annapolis Mall are now eight pickleball courts.
Thursday, co-founders Jeremiah Batucan and Stephy Samaras celebrated the official opening with a ribbon cutting and a tournament with the chamber of commerce featuring local businesses.
Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley praised the "awesome use of space" during his remarks. "Thank you for having this idea and thank you all for coming," Buckley told the crowd.
The co-founders of Ball at the Mall are both Annapolis natives with backgrounds in sports. Batucan runs Peake Social and Samaras runs Chesapeake Club Lacrosse. The two teamed up last year, wanting to meet the growing demand for pickleball courts in the area.
"We said, 'Hey, there's already a space here that's nice and flat, it has great parking, it has great visibility,'" Batucan said.
They also did not want to see Westfield fall to e-commerce like so many malls across the country.
"Although everyone is saying malls are dying, we really want our mall to survive," he said.
Pickleball was the obvious choice. It's popular, accessible and social.
"People are getting out, being social, being physically active together and whether you're seven or you're 77 you can play this game," Batucan said.
After a year of negotiations and applying for permits, the Pickleball vision became a reality.
"My first official job was at this mall, so to come back 15 years later and open up eight courts and get people here again—I remember the crowds, the lines during Christmas and Black Fridays—you just don't see it anymore," Batucan said. "The fact is, experiential is the way to go. Spending time with people is a much better use of your time in my opinion."
For more information or to book a court you can visit ballatthemall.com.