Indoor pickleball facility planned at former Riverhead Kmart

Get ready for some pickleball in Riverhead.

A Bayport man has signed a lease to bring an indoor pickleball facility to the former Kmart at Old Country Road and Northville Turnpike.

The project, dubbed Peconic Pickleball, is spearheaded by Peter Bachmore, who is hoping to capitalize on the explosive popularity of the sport while bringing some new attractions for people of all ages to the area.

“I thought Riverhead would be the perfect spot because there’s lots going on in Riverhead and it has access to the North and South forks,” Mr. Bachmore said. “We got the lease signed, and now we’re in execution mode.”

Mr. Bachmore formed an LLC, Big Batch Enterprises, and signed a 15-year lease with the New York City-based Feil Organization, which owns the East End Commons complex. 

Representatives for the Feil Organization were not immediately available for comment this week, but broker Jason Rubinstein of Pine Barrens Realty said Thursday that the lease was signed approximately two weeks ago.

The business will occupy roughly 30,000 square feet of the former Kmart and Mr. Bachmore said they are aiming to build nine indoor courts, a pro shop, bar and restaurant inside. The facility may also host cornhole leagues and tournaments.

Memberships will be available, but Mr. Bachmore also envisions offering open court sessions, clinics, lessons, leagues and tournaments for all ages and skill levels.

“I want to do something for the community and this is the way to do it for all ages,” Mr. Bachmore said. “I see how infectious it is with everyone that plays it, from retirees to younger kids. It’s a game for everyone.”

Pickleball is among the fastest growing sports in the United States. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association estimates that more than 8.9 million people played pickleball across the country last year — nearly doubling its popularity from the estimated 4.8 million players in 2021.

Created by three friends on Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965, pickleball combines elements of ping pong, badminton and tennis.

For the last 23 years, Mr. Bachmore, 51, has worked as a lawyer for an investment bank on Wall Street. As he transitions away from a corporate career, he sees pickleball as a way to spend more time on the East End, where much of his family lives, build a community space and stay active.

“I can’t wait to play everyday,” he said.

Although some indoor facilities have opened on western Long Island, the East End has mostly outdoor courts that are municipally owned — and towns have struggled to keep up with demand.

Riverhead parks and recreation superintendent Ray Coyne said pickleball is the “No. 1 sport here and all across Long Island.”

Over the past several years, the town has added three new pickleball courts to Veterans Park in Calverton, reconstructed the tennis courts at South Jamesport Beach to create a total of four pickleball courts along with two tennis courts. A redesign of tennis courts for pickleball play at Stotzky Park is expected to be completed this spring.

“We need to dedicate one person to [oversee] pickleball as the demand for programming and the number of calls is staggering,” Mr. Coyne said.

Scott Green, whose organization, Around the Post Pickleball, hosts regular clinics in Hampton Bays and has organized tournaments on the South Fork as well as in Albany, will be “heavily involved,” Mr. Bachmore said.

Mr. Green, a former tennis pro, taught the sport on the East End for nearly two decades. One day seven years ago, as he was preparing to inline skate at Red Creek Park in Hampton Bays, he saw a group playing pickleball for the first time.

“I’ve been smitten with the sport ever since,” he said. 

With a team of certified instructors, Mr. Green says his group taught the up-and-coming sport to around 450 players last year alone.

“[We] want to bring something to Riverhead that [the community] can be proud of,” he said.

Though no plans have formally been submitted to the town planning department, officials have embraced the concept.

“The sport has taken off exponentially and all ages have embraced it,” supervisor Yvette Aguiar said. “There aren’t many sports during the winter, so an indoor [facility] would be a perfect forum where people can get exercise, socialize and stay healthy.”

Mr. Bachmore said he is currently working with an architect on more concrete plans for the interior which are expected to be submitted to the town planning department soon.

“We’re honing in on the plan and hoping for fall,” he said. “Aggressively, we would love to be open Labor Day weekend, with a tournament, leagues and present it to the community in a really cool way.”

The idea of rethinking a vacant big box store is also compelling for town officials. 

“It’s taking a portion of a building that’s been vacant for years. And it’s recreational, which we need more of in Riverhead,” said councilman Bob Kern. “A lot of people travel west to go to year-round sports facilities.”

A portion of the more than 108,000 square-foot former Kmart building is already being renovated to house offices for the Suffolk County Department of Social Services. In December 2021, the Suffolk County Legislature approved a 20-year agreement to lease 38,555 square feet of the building to relocate its DSS offices from East Main Street. The building has been vacant since Kmart shuttered it in November 2018.