This time, no red tape will get in the way of New York City FC’s training ground plans.

EOS has learned the Manchester City owned franchise has reached an agreement with SUNY Purchase on a two-and-a-half year lease to develop a temporary training grounds on the southern portion of their campus.

“We built a new baseball field, so this is our unused baseball field,” Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Government Relations and the Executive Assistant to the President of SUNY Purchase tells EOS.

Construction on the site has already begun, including the implementation of a natural grass field, and an irrigation system for their future training pitch.

While the official investment number for the project remains unknown, it is considered to be “only a fraction” of the $10 million proposal offered to Manhattanville College earlier this year. NYCFC will be using these grounds as a stop-gap towards their future, permanent home. In doing so, they will only invest in renovating the abandoned baseball diamond, and refitting the college’s unused athletic facilities.

“This is not Manhattanville. This is not the same thing they were going to do in Manhattanville. This is a temporary location for them,” Robertson said. “They are taking over some space of ours we are currently not using and they are creating a lockerooom, meeting room and all-purpose rooms.

“When they are done with the lease, it is a two-and-a-half year lease or permit that they have. After two and a half years, the field and lockerroom space will come back to [Purchase].”

SUNY Purchase is literally down the road from Manhattanville College. As such, the Purchase Environmental Protective Association (PEPA) still holds sway in the area when discussing large-scale building projects. PEPA initially blocked construction at the Manhattanville site earlier this year, citing traffic and environmental concerns, even as the Harrison Community board approved of the measure for construction on site.

Local opposition will not be a problem this time around.

“We talked to PEPA from the get go,” Robertson says. “We engaged extensively with PEPA leadership to ensure that PEPA concerns regarding the training facility at the college were addressed. After many meetings, PEPA does not oppose the limited relationship between [NYCFC] and us.”

Construction of the training ground site has begun and is expected to be ready for the 2015 preseason.