Exclusive: Battersea Power Station rules out building NBA Europe stadium
Battersea Power Station chiefs have categorically ruled out suggestions that London’s NBA Europe team could build its home basketball arena on the site.
The capital remains at the centre of a bidding war for an NBA franchise, with interested parties reported to include former Tottenham Hotspur chief Daniel Levy, current Spurs majority shareholders the Lewis family, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Chelsea owners and telecommunications giant Liberty Global.
It had been mooted that the currently undeveloped areas on the Battersea Power Station site could house a major purpose-built basketball arena for the NBA Europe team.
But the firm behind the site – previously the subject of interest from Roman Abramovich to turn the iconic landmark of London’s industrial past into a football stadium – has poured cold water on those plans.
As the latest development plans were released, a spokesperson for Battersea Power Station told City AM that “our plans do include a venue space, which we think could be an important addition to the neighbourhood, but do not include a new NBA arena”, adding that “the amount of land required for this is not compatible with our future phases”.
“However,” they added, “the reported interest from the NBA to bring an arena to London is an exciting prospect and reflects the city’s continued appeal to international investors.
“We welcome enquiries from venue operators from across the globe looking to expand into London and join our vibrant new mixed-use neighbourhood, be that across art, theatre, sports, education, or other uses.”
NBA at Battersea
As well as killing any hopes of housing an NBA Europe team south of the river in Battersea will not materialise, it would appear to remove the site from the list of options being considered for a separate arena construction by current British basketball champions the London Lions. The Mayor of London is aiding the search for land for the latter bid.
The news comes as NBA commissioner Adam Silver stated that his organisation had been in talks with the continental EuroLeague about acquiring a stake in the basketball competition. Such a move could push NBA Europe backwards, into 2028.
It’s understood that the O2 Arena had been preparing to host the London franchise until their own stadium had been completed.
“Battersea Power Station is entering an exciting new chapter as we prepare to deliver the remaining 16 acres of the development, which will nearly double the size of the neighbourhood,” the Battersea Power Station spokesperson added.
“We have worked closely with master planner and strategic urban design practice, Studio Egret West, to revise the original masterplan to respond to changes in expectations around lifestyle, leisure and workspace.
“The proposals could deliver up to 3.2 million sq ft of residential, commercial, cultural and leisure space.”