On Feb. 16, Seattle Sounders FC revealed plans for the development of a new “state of the art” home in Renton.
Located on the site of Boeing’s former corporate headquarters at the historic Longacres, the new home of the “Rave Green” is set to provide a world-class sporting facility for Major League Soccer’s winningest team over the past decade, housing the club’s entire soccer and business operation for the first time in Sounders FC history.
Known as the Sounders FC Center at Longacres, the club is working in partnership with Seattle-based Unico Properties on the expansive project, with an expected opening in 2024.
The facility will include four full-size training pitches and 50,000 square feet of space for both the club’s soccer operations and front office personnel. The club said the facility will help usher in a new era for Sounders FC as the club prepares for its 50th anniversary in two years’ time.
Since entering MLS in 2009, the club has trained at Starfire Sports in Tukwila.
“Today is one of the most important moments in our club’s history, as we begin this new partnership with Unico Properties and take our first steps into the future of Seattle Sounders FC,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “Our organization has invested a great deal of time and thoughtfulness into the process of both selecting the ideal site for a new home and reimagining what that home represents, for our team and the greater community.”
From a location perspective, the Sounders FC Center at Longacres is at the nexus of several Puget Sound major arteries and transit options. Situated at the nexus of the region’s two biggest interstates, I-5 and I-405, Longacres is just 13 miles from Seattle, 13 miles from Bellevue and 24 miles from Tacoma, allowing all Puget Sound residents close proximity to the Rave Green’s new home.
Longacres is also adjacent to Sounder Train commuter rail, with the Tukwila station of the region-wide transit network located just a half-mile walk away.
Notably, should Seattle be selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the new Sounders FC Center at Longacres would be available as a resource for the globe’s largest sporting event, both as a training site and other related needs.
Renton also is home to the Seattle Seahawks training and practice facility along the shores of Lake Washington.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
