Baltimore Peninsula to launch multipurpose sports venue Volo Beach in South Baltimore

Baltimore Peninsula, the waterfront redevelopment project, and Volo Sports, the national adult sports leagues group started in Baltimore, are launching a more than 4-acre multipurpose sports venue in South Baltimore.

Volo Beach, a new hub for activities including beach volleyball and pickleball, is expected to be in “full swing” by fall, according to a news release announcing the project, which is a partnership between Volo Sports and the Baltimore Peninsula development team, led by the New York-based MAG Partners.

In addition to beach volleyball courts, which are already open, the new venue will include pickleball courts and fields for kickball, soccer and flag football — plus picnic tables, cornhole and live music. The sports venue will be located near the waterfront and will also offer food and beverages, according to the news release.

“Baltimore Peninsula’s status as a quickly growing neighborhood paired with its stunning waterfront location made it the ideal location for Volo Sports’ latest venue,” said Giovanni Marcantoni, founder of Volo Sports, in a statement.

Volo Sports, founded in Federal Hill in 2010, now has over 500,000 players nationwide among its ranks and already has a presence at nearby West Covington Park.

Volo Beach is one of the latest additions to Baltimore Peninsula, which is home to apartment buildings, a hotel and offices. The redevelopment project, initially conceived by Under Armour founder Kevin Plank over a decade ago, plans to offer over 1 million square feet of office, retail and mixed-income residences.

“Sports are a valuable way to build community and camaraderie and we are delighted to partner with Volo, who contributes to the vibrant energy in Baltimore,” MAG Partners founder and CEO MaryAnne Gilmartin said in a statement. “Baltimore Peninsula is rapidly becoming a one-stop destination — somewhere you can live, work and enjoy — and now you can play here too.”

Volo Sports said the new venue will also be used by Volo Kids Foundation, which was founded in 2015 and provides free sports programs, with the aim of reaching over 10,000 Baltimore City children next year. Volo Beach will allow for a focus on engaging communities in Brooklyn, Cherry Hill, Curtis Bay, Lakeland, Mount Winans and Westport, and will welcome “Baltimoreans from all walks of life,” Marcantoni said.

A spokesperson for Volo Beach told The Baltimore Sun in an email that the fields and courts there would be open to the public “at certain times.”

“The Baltimore Peninsula development team is committed to improved access from the South and the North,” the spokesperson said.