Club Executive Chair Ricketts “A historic moment in Stars FC history”
By Lesley Ryder
The Stars have announced their plans for an exclusive training center located north of Chicago in Bannockburn, IL. Construction is slated to begin in spring of 2026, with the goal of opening before the end of 2027.
Renderings for the new facility show full-sized indoor and outdoor fields on an expansive 10-acre training ground footprint–a marked improvement over their shared space in Bridgeview.
Tuesday’s press release revealed the new facility will be sustainably built. It will also feature a goalkeeper-specific pitch, and a 45,000-square-foot building with a weight room, and “spaces designed to enable mindfulness.”
“Today marks a historic moment in Chicago Stars FC’s history,” said Chicago Stars executive chairperson, Laura Ricketts. “This facility will set the standard in women's professional soccer by providing the infrastructure our players need to develop to their highest level of performance. Our aim is for the performance center to serve as a point of community pride and a landmark asset that reflects our club’s identity. This new facility isn’t just an investment in the Stars, it’s an investment in the future of women’s soccer.”
The Stars tapped global design firm Populous to see their vision through. Populous is currently working on the Portland Thorns joint facility with the Portland Fire of the WNBA, and Denver Summit’s new training ground ahead of their opening season. Populous has also designed the Las Vegas Sphere, and the Buffalo Bills’ new Highmark Stadium.
“We intentionally kicked off the project with input sessions among Chicago Stars athletes to ensure their requirements were at the forefront of the design,” said Populous Principal Brooke Craig in the Stars’ press release. “With their input, we are confident this facility will be a game changer for the club and players.”
Chicago Stars partnered with Marquee Development — the sports and mixed-use real estate arm of the Ricketts Family ownership group — to find and develop the Bannockburn site. The new location is across Chicagoland from their current home in Bridgeview, about a half an hour north of their 2026 match day home in Evanston.
What does it mean?
With today’s unveiling, the Stars join the growing ranks of NWSL teams with their own training facility, or one under construction. It’s an important step realized for the Stars, as President Karen Leetzow has long spoken about the team’s search for a permanent match day and training home.
A new training facility also gives the Stars something to offer to prospective new players and staff. It’s a huge upgrade over their current situation in Bridgeview, and with sole ownership, they get to have control over their schedule.
The press release notes the training ground’s convenient location to Northwestern’s Martin Stadium. It sparks questions about the Stars future in the area. The Stars are only able to play in Evanston because the club obtained a zoning certificate allowing them to work within the confines of the city’s ordinance limiting professional sports in the city.
When the certificate was approved, Evanston city council member Parielle Davis told residents of the city’s seventh ward that the move was temporary. “This is only for one season,” Davis said. “We are able to walk it back if it ends up not being a good fit for our community.”
After the 2026 season, the temporary stadium at Northwestern will be dismantled. With a new training facility in the works, will a permanent home follow in 2027?