Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire FC have signed a ground lease deal for a new training complex to be built in the city.

The new training centre will feature a 53,000ft2, two-storey performance centre, two-and-a-half hybrid grass pitches and three synthetic turf pitches, providing a world-class training environment for the Fire’s professional and Academy players and staff. 

The hybrid grass pitches will feature a hydronic heating system, and the turf pitches will be protected by an insulated dome from November to March each year.

As part of the long-term lease agreement, the Fire will finance the development of the multi-million-dollar facility and provide an $8 million community investment.

Additionally, the Fire will 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. Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot, said:

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. 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.

Construction on the training facility is anticipated to begin later this spring.

The Chicago Fire Football Club was founded on October 8, 1997, on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire. 

The Fire have won six major domestic championship titles, including the 1998 MLS Cup, the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, as well as the 2003 MLS Supporters’ Shield. 

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