CHICAGO (December 16, 2013) – Today, the Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced the development of the Chicago Fire Soccer Center. Plans involve the conversion of a vacant manufacturing building and surrounding property at 3626 N. Talman Avenue, into a year-round, soccer center.

“We are thrilled to extend the Chicago Fire presence within the city,” said Chicago Fire owner and chairman of Andell Inc, Andrew Hauptman. “We are investing in this site to increase awareness of the organization and create more accessibility for both new and existing soccer fans. We want the Chicago Fire brand to have a positive impact on the community.”

The Chicago Fire Soccer Center, which will sit on 4.7 acres, is expected to open in the summer 2014. The center was created as part of the organization’s larger initiative to recognize and invest in the diverse soccer community and to drive the soccer conversation in Chicago.

The 140,000-square-foot center will include two, regulation size turf soccer fields and the first air-supported dome within Chicago’s city limits. When completed the Soccer Center will provide year-round access to soccer fields for both the Chicago Fire Recreational Soccer League, a leading provider of adult recreational soccer in the city that includes over 5,000 players, as well as the Chicago Fire Juniors City team, a professionally based youth soccer club that serves over 250 kids ages 6-18, and one of ten clubs in the Chicago Fire Juniors family with more than 10,000 participants across seven states. Additionally, the Chicago Fire first team will train there periodically in preparation for games on turf fields.

“In a downtown market that is underserved with fields this new facility will be Chicago’s premier soccer center,” said Hauptman. “It is a real, physical presence for the Fire to use as a means of continuing to engage the soccer community, year round, through leagues, camps, clinics, tournaments and more.”

The majority owner in the project is an entity controlled by Andrew Hauptman, with minority partners Richard Levy and Jared Schenk. In addition to the Fire's uses, the center will also serve the surrounding community, providing access to neighboring schools, universaities and recreational sports leagues. The development will include a 15,000-square-foot building, forecast for mixed-use field management offices, restaurant, retail and training.