Philadelphia Youth Basketball is planning a $50 million workforce development center at its growing North Philadelphia campus. The nonprofit plans to build the 40,000-square-foot facility in the Nicetown neighborhood.
The new center will rise next to the organization’s 100,000-square-foot Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center. That facility opened at 4250 Wissahickon Avenue in 2024.
Philadelphia Youth Basketball demolished a vacant industrial building on the adjacent site earlier this year. The demolition cleared the property for the next phase of campus development.
Named The Generator of Career Development and Economic Opportunity, the new facility will focus on workforce training. Programs will primarily serve young adults between ages 18 and 29.
The organization expects to break ground in fall 2027. The Generator is currently scheduled to open in early 2029.
The $50 million project includes construction, campus improvements, and programming expenses. Philadelphia Youth Basketball has already raised approximately 20% of the project’s total cost.
Additionally, several major regional organizations have committed to supporting the initiative. Partners include Temple University, Jefferson Health, Hanwha Philly Shipyard, and Eastern Atlantic States Carpenters Technical Center.
The development represents another significant investment along the Wissahickon Avenue corridor. It also demonstrates how underused industrial properties can support new community-focused development.
For North Philadelphia, the project will expand an existing campus rather than create a standalone facility. The adjacent Sixth Man Center already provides sports, education, and community programming.
Adding workforce development could broaden the campus’s role within the surrounding neighborhood. Furthermore, partnerships with major employers could connect training programs with regional employment opportunities.
The Generator also highlights continued investment in properties that combine real estate development with workforce and economic initiatives. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, followed by an anticipated 2029 opening.
*Article courtesy of Philadelphia Business Journal
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