USA – ILLINOIS Trends and Developments Contributed by: Jason R. Gorczynski, Katten
the attention of the real estate industry. Significant sports-related real estate activity over the last year has also involved facilities specific to women athletes. WNBA player-focused performance centres can be a competitive advantage for teams by impacting player development and free agent recruitment. In Illinois, the Chicago Sky plans to open their Bed - ford Park practice facility in the spring of 2026. The 80,000-square-foot facility will be the largest in the WNBA. Numerous other WNBA teams are pursuing develop - ment of their own performance centres. • In 2027, the Indiana Fever plans to open a 108,000-square-foot facility within walking dis - tance of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Once opened, the Fever’s facility will claim the title of the largest practice centre in the WNBA. • The Portland Fire, which begins play in the 2026 WNBA season, is opening the Kaiser Permanente Performance Center in 2026. The multiphase facility will serve as home to the Fire and NWSL’s Portland Thorns, integrating training environments, advanced sports medicine, recovery and rehabilita - tion stations, and collaborative medical infrastruc - ture, with each focusing on the needs of women athletes. • The Dallas Wings are pursuing a 70,700-square- foot practice facility in the West Oak Cliff neigh - bourhood of Dallas, Texas. • The New York Liberty is developing a 75,000-square-foot practice facility in the Green - point neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York. • The Golden State Valkyries, which began play in the 2025 WNBA season, unveiled their newly renovated 31,800-square-foot practice facility in Oakland, California. • In 2027, the Los Angeles Sparks are scheduled to open a 55,000-square-foot training and practice facility in El Segundo, California. In addition to Chicago Stars FC’s new performance centre, other NWSL teams are pursuing significant projects involving dedicated stadiums and sports and entertainment district developments.
• Kansas City Current has embarked on a multiphase USD1 billion project to transform the Missouri waterfront, anchored by CPKC Stadium, which is the Current’s home venue and the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional team. The USD200 million first phase includes 429 multifamily homes, as well as 48,000 square feet of retail and over two acres of riverfront gathering space. • Denver Summit FC, which begins NWSL play in 2026, is building a new 14,500-seat stadium as part of the Santa Fe Yards mixed-use entertain - ment district in Denver, Colorado’s Baker neigh - bourhood. • Boston Legacy FC, which begins NWSL play in 2026, has announced renovation of White Stadium, an existing stadium in Boston, Massachusetts. Collegiate Real Estate The US collegiate sports landscape is radically chang - ing, based in part on the In re College Athlete NIL Litigation landmark settlement. The settlement allows universities to share a portion of athletic revenue with athletes, with a total cap of approximately USD20.5 million per school for the 2025–26 school year, poten - tially rising to nearly USD33 million per school in the next decade. Universities are facing immediate strain on their budg - ets, and mixed-use real estate development offers one source of potential revenue to offset the additional expense. Universities can tap into their extensive land holdings to increase revenue through team-driven sports-anchored mixed-use developments, typically in partnership with real estate developers. Northwestern University in Illinois plans to increase revenues at the new Ryan Field through the ability to charge higher ticket and premium experience pricing and hosting events beyond football. Examples of other universities evaluating real estate as a potential revenue source include the following: • the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is exploring plans involving potentially renovating the current Dean E. Smith Center, home of the men’s
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