Austin FC start construction on $45 million training facility

Austin FC have broken ground on their own training facility, a privately-funded ground known as the St. David’s Performance Center. It includes a $45-million investment from Two Oak Ventures, the club’s parent company and ownership group.

The facility is set to open in spring 2021, and sits on a 23-acre site at Palmer Point in North Austin with two state-of-the-art buildings that have a 30,000 square-foot presence. It will house Austin FC’s first team, academy players, technical staff and soccer operations leadership with four full-sized pitches, including three natural grass surfaces and one artificial turf surface. There’s also a half-sized grass pitch, with the artificial surface home to spectator stands and concession infrastructure that can accommodate approximately 1,000 ticketed guests. 

“Two Oak Ventures and Austin FC are pleased to begin work on the next phase of our critical infrastructure plan as we prepare for the formal launch of our inaugural season in 2021,” majority owner and CEO Anthony Precourt said in a statement. “St. David’s Performance Center is a world-class training facility and a key component in the future success of Austin FC.”

The construction timeline would coincide with Austin’s introduction to MLS in 2021 as an expansion team. The name derives from a partnership with St. David’s HealthCare, which was named the club’s first founding partner in May 2019.

“St. David’s Performance Center is going to provide our first team and academy teams with one of the best soccer training experiences anywhere in North America,” sporting director Claudio Reyna said. “As a former player, I know the importance of training in the best possible surroundings, and St. David’s Performance Center will provide this to our players, from first team to the academy. In a few short months, the facility will be open right on schedule for our inaugural MLS season in 2021.”

As construction gets underway, Austin also continues to make progress on their soccer-specific stadium. ESPN broadcaster Taylor Twellman recently gave an on-the-ground sneak peek of how construction is going at McKalla Place.