FAYETTEVILLE, GA. — The U.S. Soccer Federation has selected a site in Fayetteville, 22 miles south of downtown Atlanta, to develop its new National Training Center. The facility will be located within the master-planned community of Trilith and will span more than 200 acres. The development is expected to create 440 new jobs and costs $228 million to develop, according to the State of Georgia.
The National Training Center will serve as the headquarters for U.S. Soccer, which is currently based in Chicago. Plans for the facility include a dozen soccer fields; more than 100,000 square feet of indoor courts for all 27 of the U.S. Soccer national teams; and 200,000 square feet of facilities, locker rooms, meeting rooms and headquarters space for U.S. Soccer employees.
The federation plans to break ground on the project in the spring of 2024. Arthur Bank, co-founder of The Home Depot and owner of Major League Soccer team Atlanta United and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, contributed $50 million to the development.
According to U.S. Soccer, the site was chosen due to its proximity to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Atlanta’s downtown area, optimal climate for year-round programming, the ability to impact the local economy and the opportunity to be part of a growing community.
“U.S. Soccer joins a long and proud tradition of sports in the Peach State, including our fast-growing soccer fanbase,” said Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. “This project will solidify Georgia’s position at the forefront of this increasingly popular sport, from the success of our own Atlanta United team to the FIFA World Cup 2026 events in a few short years.”
The development site is also located just under 30 miles from One Coca-Cola Plaza, the Coca-Cola Co.’s headquarters in Atlanta. In July, U.S. Soccer entered into a long-term partnership agreement with Coca-Cola Co. According to U.S. Soccer, the partnership with Coca-Cola is intended to support the growth of and encourage participation in the game by providing opportunities for all U.S. youth national teams and extended national teams.
The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is working in partnership with Fayette County Development Authority, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, University System of Georgia and Georgia Power to develop the facility. John Soper, senior project manager, represented the GDEcD’s Global Commerce team on the project.
Trilith, the master-planned development within which the training center will be built, is part of Georgia’s deep involvement in the film industry. Trilith Studios, formerly known as Pinewood Atlanta Studios, started on the development in 2020. The 935-acre project features movie studio space, hotels, retail, restaurants, office space, medical offices, schools and homes. Films produced at the studios include several recent Marvel Studios superhero blockbusters.
— Channing Hamilton