Philadelphia Youth Basketball Tips Off a New Era of Empowerment

More than a decade ago, Ballard Spahr lawyers joined Philadelphia Youth Basketball (PYB) in the nonprofit organization’s mission: to build a state-of-the-art facility to empower young people in one of the city’s poorest and most underserved neighborhoods.

Today, the hardwood gleams at the recently opened Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center—the site of a former furniture factory at 4250 Wissahickon Avenue in the Nicetown section of North Philadelphia. The $42 million, 100,000-square-foot facility is named for the 76ers super-fan who contributed millions to the project.

Over the years, Ballard Spahr has contributed to the community effort through donation of thousands of hours of pro bono legal services, including advising on selecting a suitable land parcel, acquiring the site, securing land use entitlements, and constructing the building. In addition to this real estate transactional work, our legal professionals have represented PYB in a variety of matters involving corporate governance, labor and employment, employee benefits, trademarks, and contract drafting and review.

Ballard Spahr signed on to support the project from the beginning in keeping with the firm’s longstanding commitment to our communities. Inspired by PYB’s vision of youth empowerment, more than a dozen attorneys from across practices have contributed time to the project. Our pro bono program is nationally recognized for its support of causes and individuals dedicated to improving the places where we live and work—across areas ranging from child advocacy to asylum to advancing racial justice and equality.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today—proudly unveiling our spectacular new facility—without Ballard Spahr,” said PYB President, CEO, and Co-Founder Kenneth B. Holdsman. “The firm’s lawyers and professional staff treated us like their most important client. The legal work is excellent and I’m blown away by the tremendous responsiveness and service they provided us as a pro bono client.”

In addition, retired Ballard Spahr Partner John B. Langel—former Chair of the firm’s powerhouse Litigation Department—has served as longtime Chair of PYB’s Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He has played an integral role in leading the organization to reach the milestone ribbon-cutting ceremony held July 8, attended by dignitaries that included Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker.                                                     

The Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center is about much more than just basketball: PYB leverages the iconic game to deliver life-changing opportunities and experiences for young people. PYB provides mentorship, educational support, and a variety of developmental programs designed to help urban youth overcome systemic issues and reach their full potential.

The center features seven basketball courts—six main courts and a seventh “early development” court for toddlers. The facility also will house a multimedia lab; a café; a financial empowerment center for internships, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship; a civic engagement arena; a gym; and mental health and wellness services.

PYB serves 1,200 young people a year and seeks to expand that number to more than 5,000 now that the organization has a new facility “where they can go for the basketball, but stay for the workforce development, health and wellness programs, entrepreneurial training, and more.” 

The Ballard Spahr team for the project was led by Bart I. Mellits and includes: Matthew N. McClure, Eileen B. Quigley, Robert J. Clark, Meredith S. Dante, Christopher A. Jones, Mark S. DePillis, Joanne Phillips, Gregory L. Seltzer, Damaris Y. Walker, Harry Weiss, and Christopher T. Cognato, as well as Shirley Breslin, retired from the Ballard Spahr staff.

Photos above courtesy of Philadelphia Youth Basketball