The owners of The Battery, the ritzy members-only club in Jackson Square, have ditched their plans to open a second location in a historic meeting hall in Oakland.
Tech millionaires and Battery founders Michael and Xochi Birch purchased the nearly 100-year-old, 40,000-square-foot property at 525 Bellevue Ave. in 2021, saying they wanted to “ignite positive change” and “inspire further investments” in the area.
However, a listing for the property was posted this month on real estate site LoopNet.com, leading SF Gate to speculate that the plans for a second Battery location had been dashed.
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Thomas Kennedy, membership director for the $2,800-a-year club, confirmed Tuesday that the company has “decided not to move forward with opening at 525 Bellevue.”
“It’s a beautiful property with a lot of history, but after spending real time with it we realized it wasn’t the right fit for the kind of experience we want to build,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We remain committed to Oakland and are exploring other opportunities here that will allow us to create something authentic and lasting for the community.”
He added: “Our focus is on finding the right space where we can do that well.”
Michael Birch did not respond to a request for comment.
The Birches paid $9.8 million for the building in the Adams Point neighborhood, according to property records. At the time, Michael Birch told Oaklandside he bought the property sight unseen, after viewing video from his home in the British Virgin Islands.
A brochure for the property lists the price as “to be determined.”
The 1928 building was formerly home to the Bellevue Club, which shuttered during the pandemic, and the Women’s Athletic Club of Alameda County. It boasts 18 guest rooms, an indoor pool, a gym and exercise studio, and a dining room and lounge with 20-foot ceilings. The brochure notes that it is “evocative of the French Beaux Arts style” and that the exterior is protected by a historical designation.
The Birches previously said they hoped to open outposts of The Battery — which at one point boasted at least 5,000 members — in Silicon Valley, Marin, Sonoma, and Napa.
The club has yet to expand beyond the city.