The Battery in Fishtown is getting a huge new indoor sporting facility called Ballers

As real estate company Lubert-Adler renovated the huge former power plant on the Delaware River — now known as The Battery — into a residential and hotel complex, one question remained unanswered.

What could the Philadelphia developer do with the cavernous 45,000-square-foot space that used to house the huge turbines that generated the electricity?

Working with David Gutstadt and Amanda Potter of Good City Studio, Lubert-Adler now has the answer. It will be a state-of-the-art indoor sporting facility called Ballers, which will feature a turf field, sports bar, golf simulators, and accommodations for a variety of racket games.

“This is about bringing the community together around sport,” said Gutstadt, one of the founders of the Fitler Club and the CEO of Ballers. “We want to provide that center for people to not just play the sport, but to have those great moments afterward when you’re talking about the game.”

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Ballers will use a quarter of the turbine hall’s first floor, which will be the location for a 4,500-square-foot turf field that can be rented for any kind of sport — although Gutstadt imagines it will be most popular for soccer. There will also be a sports bar and restaurant on the first floor that look onto the field.

Planned on the second floor of the bi-level vaulted chamber are six pickleball courts, two squash courts, and three courts for padel, another racket game. This space will also host four golf simulators that allow players to practice virtually, along with a separate area to practice putting, chipping, and pitching, and which will include two sand bunkers.

On the second floor, Ballers will also feature another small bar — serving coffee and juice during the day and alcohol at night — along with locker rooms, showers, cold plunge tanks, and an infrared sauna.

Gutstadt emphasizes that unlike the Fitler Club, his previous venture, Ballers is not meant to be an exclusive members-only space. It will be fully open to the public. There will also be children’s programming, for summer camps or after school events.

“It’s a sports complex, so anyone who wants to book a court or field or have a drink or eat will be able to come,” Gutstadt said. “The primary user is everyone in Philadelphia. This is something that’s meant to capture as many people as possible.”

Exact pricing is still being worked out, he said, although there will be different costs for peak times and there probably will be a package feature for frequent users. Comparisons for indoor turf fields in the Philadelphia area are Phield House on Spring Garden Street, and Players Courtyard in South Jersey or Malvern’s Bounce for pickleball courts.

Gutstadt declined to share construction cost estimates but put the cost in the “above the single digit millions number.” The project is being financed through a partnership with Vero Capital, which was also an investor in the Fitler Club, and a small private equity raise.

Ballers is projected to open before March 2025, although a brand campaign is planned over the summer with outdoor pickleball courts.

Ballers cofounder Potter emphasizes that the location will be walkable for the ever-growing population of young professionals in Northern Liberties and Fishtown, but that the site also has abundant parking.

“The project being in Fishtown is perfect, where there’s life and energy and youthfulness and spirit,” said Potter, who also led the design team at the Fitler Club. “We love the fact that customers can walk to our venue. But it’s also very easy for those of us who don’t live within walking distance to hop on the 676 and get there.”