Mock image of the facility
Renton, WA – The Seattle Sounders will have a new training facility solely for the club, expecting to be completed in 2024. It will be in Longacres, Renton, which is just across the highway from the current training facility for the team in Tukwila. The name of the facility will be “Sounders FC Center at Longacres.” This is big news for the club, as it is the largest investment that has been put into the team, and should help with performance and overall training capabilities.
Location
The location of Longacres in Renton used to hold a horse race track from 1933 to 1992. Horse racing has since moved to Emerald Downs in Auburn. During World War II, the field was temporarily used as an artillery barracks. The land was more recently purchased by Boeing in 1990, with the track officially closing down in September of 1992. Since the land was purchased by Boeing, it was previously home to the company’s corporate headquarters.
The outdoor patio overlooking the training fields
Facilities and amenities
There will be a number of amenities and renovations to be done to the current facilities, all in order to get the area into proper standards for the two time MLS cup champions. This includes a 41,300 square foot renovation across the already 301,000 square foot building that exists, turning it into new facility and front office HQ. There will be several opportunities to view practices and oversee the fields, including a viewing deck and patio, an outdoor patio that connects the indoor lounge and training fields, and an open air viewing deck. There will be ten acres of land activation that will be used for four main training fields, two natural and two artificial turf. The entrance of the building will be renovated to become a four-story atrium entrance where you will be able to see the club’s trophies proudly displayed.
The atrium entrance, featuring the clubs trophies
What this means for the club
In the past two days, the Sounders have made some pretty big announcements. The newest green kit was released, showing off a checkered blue pattern on a rave green background to commemorate the Lumen field stands during the 2019 MLS cup victory, and now this. Giving the Sounders their own facility, solely dedicated to the team should be a big help to the overall training and practice quality for the club. Having to worry about sharing time and facilities, especially when you’re playing at the professional level, is unneeded stress on top of all the other factors that come with competition for hardware. This may also potentially open the door for being shared with the OL Reign, who still train in Tacoma despite playing their games from here on out in Lumen field. It is too early to tell, but is something to ponder.
The Sounders have plenty going on, as their first official match takes place on February 17th on the road against Motagua in the Concacaf Champions League with a 7PM PST kickoff.
