The Block will be Philadelphia’s first campus dedicated to esports

Populous is designing the project.

Nerd Street Gamers, an esports infrastructure company, has selected Populous to lead its national rollout of Localhost gaming centers. The concept is a first of its kind that will bring localized gaming centers, which are open to the public, to cities across the country. The rollout will start with the flagship campus dubbed “The Block.” The Block will be a multiple-floor, 40,000-sf campus located at 401 North Broad Street in Philadelphia.

The campus will feature 20,000-sf of gaming space with dynamic amenities such as high-speed computer systems for gaming and streaming, localized competitions for esports, lounge areas for console gaming, a full-scale broadcast center to stream games on different streaming services, food and beverage areas, and retail space for esports merchandise. A large, flexible event space will support a variety of programs such as esports events, corporate events, team meet-and-greets, or product demonstrations.

Additionally, The Block will include 10,000 sf of space that will serve as Nerd Street Gamers’ corporate headquarters. Another 10,000 sf of space will be set aside for a training center and office space for the Fusion Overwatch League. Nerd Street Gamers plans to build 100 Localhosts across the country over the next five years. Populous will serve as the lead designer for each project.