LAFC’s proposal for a training facility at Cal State LA was approved on Wednesday by the California State University Board of Trustees, clearing the way for the 2018 expansion team to move forward with their $30 million plan to locate their soccer operations headquarters on the eastside LA campus.
According to a club announcement, the plans call for LAFC to renovate Cal State LA’s stadium field and construct a new training facility that will be the home for the club’s first-team players, staff, coaches and academy. The new facility will feature a natural grass practice field that will be an exact replica of the pitch at Banc of California Stadium, and a two-story building housing locker rooms, sports medicine facilities and office space for coaches and staff.
Designed by Gensler Sports, the same firm that designed the team’s Banc of California Stadium, the facility will be entirely funded by LAFC. Construction, which will be led by Hunt Construction Group, is expected to begin soon.
“Cal State LA is the perfect home for our team, and this plan affirms our commitment to building our future with the youth of Los Angeles,” LAFC president and owner Tom Penn said in a statement released by the club. “We look forward to developing world class players and talent for decades to come at Cal State LA, which has a history of elevating the communities it serves.”
Along with building their training facility at the university, LAFC has pledged an additional $1.5 million to Cal State LA. That pledge comes on the heels of a $100,000 contribution the club made to the Cal State LA athletic department last fall. LAFC also announced that they’ll support Cal State LA students through internships and collaborations with university programs at the facility.
“This training facility is unparalleled and uniquely Los Angeles,” LAFC GM John Thorrington said in the statement. “The building itself incorporates innovative indoor-outdoor spaces and is unlike anything I’ve seen the world over. Any player will love to train at this world-class facility. The central location is ideal for our academy programming, and our ownership’s investment enables us to align our soccer operation from LAFC’s MLS team to our academy.”
