A property owner in southwest Ocala is asking the city for special permission to build an indoor pickleball facility within a 12,000-square-foot warehouse.
Kalasa Holding, LLC, is seeking a special exception from the Ocala Board of Adjustment to allow for the construction of a recreational facility within a warehouse zoned for medium industrial (M-2) use. State corporate records show that Kalasa Holding, LLC, is owned by Kavitha K. Reddy.
Located at 1891 SW 12th Avenue, the warehouse currently houses materials from a neighboring truck repair shop. According to a city staff report, the property is approximately 6.03 acres in size and is situated within the plat of the Ocala Industrial Park. It is currently surrounded by industrial uses.
A conceptual plan submitted by the property owner calls for the construction of four courts within the facility, as well as an office, a check-in area, and a storefront with a small shop.
Originally developed in 1982 with a warehouse that is 8,358 square feet in size, in 2016, a site plan was approved for the construction of an additional 12,000-square-foot warehouse at the space.
That warehouse, which would house the future pickleball facility, was constructed in 2017. In addition to the warehouse, fifteen dedicated parking spaces and a drainage retention area were also constructed at the time.
A site plan shows that two additional warehouses could be built at the property in the future.
According to staff, the property owner says there will be no additional development at the site, with minor upgrades to signage.
The request comes just weeks after Pickleball Kingdom, which bills itself as the largest indoor pickleball company in the world, announced that it will open a new location in Ocala later this year.
The Ocala Board of Adjustment meets on Monday, April 21, at 5:30 p.m. at Ocala City Hall (110 SE Watula Avenue).
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