The popular Belt Highway beach volleyball venue known simply as Volleys has new owners, and they're promising to bring it back bigger and better after a stretch of uncertainty following its closure for the summer in June. Joe Lane and Rick Gilmore purchased the St. Joseph property on October 15, with plans to renovate it and eventually reopen the venue that locals have gathered at for years.
According to KQ2, the pair intend to enhance the property while preserving the features that made it a local favorite in the first place. Volleys is expected to reopen in April 2027, and the station reports longtime manager Denise Ferguson is set to return to oversee the venue, a job she's held for more than 20 years.
Why the Sale Made Sense to the New Owners
Lane said buying Volleys and keeping it a fun, safe place for community members to stay active was an easy decision, per the same report. He also said many people were upset when Volleys closed and that he wanted to keep the venue going as an activity hub for the area, rather than let it disappear for good.
Gilmore, meanwhile, said St. Joseph residents should have entertainment options close to home without needing to travel to Kansas City for something fun to do. The two described the purchase as part of a broader effort to invest in local entertainment for the St. Joseph community.
A Track Record of Local Entertainment Projects
This isn't the first time Lane and Gilmore have stepped in to grow the city's entertainment scene. The duo already own Joe Town Speedway and Joe Town Mini-Golf, and in 2021 they purchased and reopened Cool Crest Mini-Golf after it had sat dormant. Two years later, in 2023, they opened Ricky Dean's near the Shoppes at North Village, a family fun center that includes bumper boats, batting cages and more.
Lane has described the growth of his business portfolio as incremental, telling the Griffon News that opening Joe Town Mini-Golf did well enough to fund Joe Town Speedway a year later, which in turn made it possible to buy Cool Crest Garden Golf. He's also talked about bigger ambitions, including a nine-acre indoor-outdoor, beach-themed project tied to the Ricky Dean's name.
Those plans had been described before December 2022; in December, the project was described as featuring a large blacklight mini-golf course, according to St. Joseph Post. The business group behind these ventures, Joe Town Enterprises, has been described by the News-Press Now as operating two mini-golf courses and a go-kart track in town, underscoring just how much of St. Joseph's entertainment footprint now runs through Lane and Gilmore.
What Comes Next for Volleys
With Ferguson expected back at the helm and renovations ahead, the Volleys story is shaping up as another chapter in the owners' pattern of acquiring and reviving local gathering spots rather than letting them fade away. Lane framed the broader philosophy simply: he's advised people to believe in themselves and their community, take chances, and act on good ideas.
For now, the timeline points to an April 2027 return for the beach volleyball courts that have anchored a corner of the Belt Highway for years. Until then, the property will undergo the renovation work the new owners say is meant to keep Volleys feeling familiar while setting it up for its next era.
