The Delaware Generating Station, located just to the north of Penn Treaty Park, is perhaps one of the most intriguing development sites in all of Philadelphia. After nearly a century of providing power to the city, the plant was decommissioned in 2008 and quickly became the target of urban explorers who were drawn to this massive building on the Fishtown waterfront. In 2015, Bart Blatstein and Joe Volpe teamed up to purchase the plant with hopes for a boutique hotel and entertainment district. Those plans didn’t materialize, and five years later, the property was sold to Lubert-Adler, who adjusted plans to a mixed-use project.

While information has trickled out regarding the plans for the site, we now have a much better idea of what the development team has in mind. The Battery at 1325 Beach St. will completely revamp the former power plant and the adjacent lot to the north. This three-phased project will start with the redevelopment of the historical buildings on-site, the “Boiler House” and the “Switchgear Building” according to the National Trust Community Investment Corporation, who is financing a portion of this $154M project.

Construction has been on-going for some time, with a two-story addition recently joining the freshly painted chimney stacks on the roof of the building. This first phase will see 239 apartments and 49K sqft of office space in the Boiler House, with an additional 45 units and 25K sqft of event space (brought to you by Cescaphe) in the Switchgear Building. The developers are also working to bring the Louis Kahn-designed floating stage, Point Counterpoint II, back to the architect’s hometown as an additional amenity to hold concerts and public events. Check out the current status and some of the exterior renderings for what they have planned for the site below.

The interior spaces rival the building’s grand exterior, with a complete reimagining of the space. An industrial-modern vibe hearkens back to the building’s past while suiting the needs of today’s lifestyle. The project will include apartments, furnished short-term units, office and co-working space, with all of the bells and whistles you’d expect from a project of this scale. Landscaped outdoor space, a state-of-the-art gym, and an expansive roof deck overlooking the waterfront will provide wellness options that are a driving force for this project. Cohere is handling the branding, so even the tiny details of the development are starting to come to light, as you can see below.

Between the slick design, ample amenities, and easy access to Penn Treaty Park and the fun of Fishtown, we are excited to see this proceed. While we aren’t thrilled that surface parking will be added to the north section of the lot during this phase, a fly-over video of the full three-phased build out from Cadence Real Estate Advisors gives an idea of what will eventually take its place. The first phase of the project should be done this summer, and we can’t wait to take an “energizing” walk through this reinvented structure when the time comes.