Updated Aug. 17, 2022

Upcoming meeting

Members of the public can review the latest proposal for the Chicago Fire training facility at a virtual community meeting from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25. Register today via Zoom.

Overview

The Chicago Fire Football Club, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) and the City of Chicago have entered into preliminary discussions on a proposed new performance and training facility for Chicago’s Major League Soccer (MLS) team in the Roosevelt Square area on the Near West Side.

The discussions will explore using approximately 30 acres of vacant CHA land as a headquarters and training center for the Fire. As part of a long-term lease agreement, the Fire would develop the multi-million-dollar facility and provide a variety of community benefits and public investments into neighboring public housing sites, long-term employment for community members, and recreational opportunities for youth.

The proposed site is generally bounded by Roosevelt Road, Ashland Avenue, 14th Street and Loomis Street. The site was previously occupied by portions of CHA’s former ABLA Homes, which is already in the process of being replaced by the mixed-income Roosevelt Square community as part of CHA’s ongoing commitment to develop mixed-income, mixed-use housing.

Tentative facility plans include world-class practice fields and a performance center where team members prepare for matches. The facility would also house the Fire’s Youth Academy, offering programmed activities for youth, teens, and young adults in CHA housing and the broader community. Additional facility details will be determined through the community engagement process and ongoing discussions between the Mayor’s Office, CHA, and City agencies.

The Chicago Fire Football Club was founded in 1997 on the 126th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire and will kick off its 25th season in Major League Soccer in 2022. The Fire have won six major domestic championship titles, including the 1998 MLS Cup, the 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups, as well as the 2003 Supporters’ Shield.

The Fire plays their home matches at historic Soldier Field. For more information on the club, visit chicagofirefc.com.

Community Engagement

As part of an ongoing public engagement process, a virtual meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 25 to review the latest proposal for the training facility. Those interested in attending can register now via Zoom.

An earlier virtual community meeting was held via Zoom on Tuesday, May 3. Download the presentation or watch a recording of the meeting:

Community meetings will be hosted or co-hosted by the CHA, the Department of Planning and Development (DPD), the Fire, and Ald. Jason Ervin (28th). Any additional information on these public meetings will be posted to this webpage as it becomes available. The Fire also plans to meet with multiple community organizations to discuss their vision through spring 2022.

DPD staff welcome initial comments from the public at dpd@cityofchicago.org.