The city of Chicago and officials with Chicago Fire Football Club have announced that a lease has been signed as part of a project to a new training facility for the team in the Roosevelt Square neighborhood.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Ald. Jason Ervin and the Chicago Housing Authority announced the lease agreement in a press release, with the new facility coming soon to the city’s Near West Side.
“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 in a statement.
According to the release, the facility will not only include athletic facilities, but will also provide community gathering spaces and recreational activities for residents, as well as job opportunities.
The lease will generate an estimated $40 million in revenue for the CHA in the coming decades, and the Fire agreed to $8 million in investments for the rehabilitation of nearby CHA housing.
Construction is expected to begin later in the spring, officials said.
“The millions of dollars in rental income generated by the project will support the CHA’s efforts to rehabilitate and build affordable housing in the surrounding areas,” Lightfoot said.
Local
The site, comprised of 23.3 acres in an area bounded by Roosevelt Road, Ashland Avenue, 14th Street and Loomis, will feature several natural-grass soccer fields and three artificial turf fields, officials said.
“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,” owner and chairman Joe Mansueto said.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
