Chicago Fire signs lease on new $100m training ground with ‘world class’ 50,000-square-foot facility

The Chicago Fire Football Club has agreed to a new lease on a training facility, the team announced Monday.

This 53,000 square foot complex will be built in the Roosevelt Square neighborhood in Chicago’s Near West Side district. The entirely privately-funded project is projected to cost between $80-$100million.

Approval for the lease was signed off by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot as well as the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The facility will boast a two-story performance center, two-and-a-half hybrid grass pitches and three synthetic turf pitches. 

Those pitches will each have their own protection from the elements. The hybrid fields will feature a hydronic heating system while the turf will be protected by an insulated dome between November and March. 

Chicago Fire FC has agreed to a lease on a brand new 53,000 square foot training facility

The state-of-the-art facility boasts five-and-a-half pitches with heating & a dome for protection

According to the announcement by the Fire, in addition to the lease and the building of the facility, the team will be investing $8m into the surrounding community.

This investment will be used, ‘for the rehabilitation and preservation of nearby CHA housing and the creation of indoor and outdoor community spaces,’ the team says. 

The club is also pledging to, ‘provide long-term employment for community members, resources for minority and women-owned businesses, free sports programming for local youth, community green spaces, and more.’ 

‘The Chicago Fire, one of our city’s greatest sports teams, deserves to have a high-quality training facility that not only meets their needs but fosters the growth of talented athletes,’ Lightfoot said. 

‘This potential new facility will both fulfill this need and provide the surrounding West Side community with job opportunities, recreational activities, and community gathering spaces. 

‘Additionally, the millions of dollars in rental income generated by this project will support the CHA’s efforts to rehabilitate and build affordable housing in the surrounding areas.’ 

According to estimates, the lease is expected to generate $40m in revenue for the CHA over the course of the next 40 years – which it will use to invest into upgrades on existing public housing projects in the city. 

Per Forbes, the team will break ground on the project in the spring with the goal of moving in by the summer of 2024.

These facilities will feature team meeting rooms, communal rooms, and a kitchen

One of those team meeting rooms includes a film room adorned with leather chairs

Players will also have access to a sports medicine room where training staff can aid recovery

The facility will also feature a hydrotherapy room – with hot and cold tubs available to players

The land the training ground will be build on is part of a greater redevelopment project

The location of the facility (blue pin) is not too far from the team’s home ground: Soldier Field

‘Being a part of and giving back to Chicago is at the heart of the Chicago Fire Football Club ethos, and we are excited to put down roots on the Near West Side in the Roosevelt Square community,’ said Chicago Fire FC Owner and Chairman Joe Mansueto. 

‘The development of our new facility will provide a state-of-the-art training environment for our players, coaches, and sporting staff. 

Our facility will also serve as a community programming home to the next generation of Chicagoans, bringing our city together through the sport of soccer. 

We look forward to getting underway and continuing our work with local residents on this project.’