Powering Up Philly: From Delaware River relic to America’s most iconic lifestyle-meets-rackets modern mashup club Ballers

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What do the historic Battersea Power Station in London and The Philadelphia Electric Company Power Station have in common? Both have lived long stretches of their lives as sorrowful relics from a bygone era, with their original use – as coal-fired power plants – seemingly confined to a bygone era. In this exclusive feature, we explore how the mastermind behind New York’s Equinox Hotel, David Gustadt, and his team are creating Ballers at The Battery as a vibrant hub for social sports, and in doing so, are on the cusp of sparking a new wave of social and athletic engagement in the heart of sport-loving Philadelphia.

At one point in time, in the not-too-dim and distant past, it would have been fashionable to take the bulldozer to a 60-dormant-years-relic of a power station. To start a fresh with a new-build alternative, more in keeping with twenty-first century architecture. To leave a power station where it belongs, as the construct of a bygone, early twentieth century industrial era. At one point in time, that is, but not today. Because, like it or not, more often than not, we tend to be suckers for a bit of nostalgia (the recently announced revival of 1990s Brit rockers Oasis and the 14 million that queued online for tickets the entirety of the last Saturday in August just the latest evidence of our insatiable appetite for nostalgia). And so, what would once, perhaps quite rightly, have been seen as an industrial eyesore on the banks of the mighty Delaware river that had no place as a would-be destination to spend our leisure time, is now, soon to become a sublime reinvention, a bombastic blend of twentieth century industrial architecture mixed with a modern makeover, to suit our present day needs. Such is society’s love of character, and dismissal of soulless new builds, you might well put this down as the reason that London’s Battersea Power Station 2.0 opened in 2022. What is arguably its American successor, to be known as Ballers at The Battery, will open its doors in early 2025.

The Battery: A Forgotten Icon Reimagined

The Battery, once the pride of The Philadelphia Electric Company, was a beacon of progress when it opened its doors in 1923, remarkably supplying half of this rich, historical city’s electricity. Yet, for the past 60 years, this imposing historic turbine house on the Delaware River has stood eerily silent. That is, until now. With its rooftop recently transformed into world-class residences and a lifestyle club, it is now the turn of the main body of The Battery that’s in line for a makeover. And it’s the Canadian David Gustadt with his latest creation, Ballers, that’s stepping up to the challenge.

Enter Ballers: A New Chapter for The Battery

At the helm of this ambitious three padel court, six pickleball court project is a star-studded team of celebrity investors, including Andre Agassi and Kim Clijsters – who boast 12 Grand Slams between them – and NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers Point guard, Tyrese Maxey. They are joined by the visionary minds at Good City Studio, co-founded by Gutstadt, along with their real estate partner, Vero Capital. This team isn’t new to Philadelphia; they’re also the creators of the renowned river-hugging private members’ club Fitler – which we recently had the pleasure of a private tour of – and has been a central symbol of Philadelphia’s resurgence in recent years.

Gustadt, who hails from Toronto, possesses a rich background in hospitality and sports, most notable of which was his tenure spearheading the formation of the Equinox Hotels brand. As someone always on the lookout for the next transformative venture, it looks like Gustadt might just have found it with Ballers’ plans for expansion not resting at this first project on the banks of the Delaware River. During a recent visit to the city, we had the chance to tour The Battery with Gustadt himself, where he shared his vision for the extraordinary venue.

“We’ve been a consultant to the owner [of The Battery] for nearly four years, and every time we would walk through the space, we would all look around, scratch our heads and say ‘what would you do here?’. As a historic space, you can’t really do anything to it, it has to live on its own”, said Gustadt. 

Gustadt later went on to describe how ideas had swayed from a Drone Racing facility to an indoor waterpark, before eventually landing on the concept of a “mixed use sports complex”.

And what a perfect fit it is. For one, Ballers has the luxury of 70-foot high ceilings for a sport (padel) that’s heavy on lobbing. Conduct a straw poll of padel club owners, and the majority will undoubtedly tell you that height is often their bete noire when it comes to identifying the right plot of land. However, with Ballers, and 450,000 square feet of open space, the court possibilities are limitless. 

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A Diverse Sporting Offer: More Than Just Padel

Ballers isn’t just about one sport, however; it’s about bringing people together through a love of all things active. With Gestalt’s background in college tennis and his passion for racquet sports, it’s no surprise that padel and pickleball are at the forefront of his new enterprise. With the recent development of padel across the country, as well as the pickleball boom which has proliferated Stateside in recent years, logic has prevailed. 

The club will feature three padel courts, six pickleball courts, two squash courts (a nod to Philly’s squash heritage), a series of golf simulators and indoor short game practice area with real sand bunkers as well as a five-a-side football pitch. But that’s not all. Aside from the sporting facilities, Ballers will also host a high-end hospitality offering with social spaces including a bar, restaurants and luxury locker rooms. The hospitality offering will be able to cater to groups and events of between 10 and 500 people.

On the ground floor, a sophisticated sports bar and grill will serve as a central hub, offering takes on pub classics and craft cocktails. This space will be used to host events, from guest chef series to live music, cementing its role as a true community hub. Upstairs, another bar will cater to health-conscious patrons during the day, transitioning into a lively venue by night.

“The concept behind Ballers is that we are not necessarily about any single sport, we are about sport bringing people together and creating community around sport. We call it social sports, and the beauty about it is it can be whatever we want as long as it ties into the theme of sports and social,”

Ballers’ high-end pickleball offering is already generating buzz, with three pre-opening pop-up courts situated in the shadow of the imposing former Philadelphia Electric Company headquarters, helping to draw in crowds and build Ballers’ community before it opens in early 2025. With the versatility of the space, and its “wow factor” location, there is little doubt that Ballers is about to establish its place as the talk-of-town sports destination when it opens.

Expansion Plans: What’s Next for Ballers?

The Ballers at The Battery project, if the word project does it justice, might be the first of its kind, but it is certainly not going to be the last. With Gustadt’s track record and ambitions, it’s clear this is just stage one of Ballers’ rollout nationwide, with plans to open venues in major markets such as New York City, Boston, Dallas, and San Francisco over the next decade. 

The biggest question, however, remains the high bar that’s been set for a Ballers location like no other; what other historical venues remain within reach for Ballers, one wonders. 

With Gustadt and his team, there’s no guessing the shortlist will continue to grow by the day.