Toronto FC has unveiled plans for its new training facility at Downsview Park in North Toronto.
The benefits certainly won't be reaped this year, and the full effect won't come to fruition for several years, but today's announcement regarding the new TFC academy set up and training complex at Downsview is the best news we've heard in a long time; certainly this year.
TFC will have completed its fifth year by the time the team settles in, so this has been long overdue. Here's what they'll have: fourteen acres of their own, on which will be built three grass fields, one of which will be heated, one Field Turf field covered by a bubble and a 40,000-square-foot fieldhouse complete with locker rooms, training facilities and offices.
The entire cost will be absorbed by MLSE. The original budget was $17.5 million, but the final tally will likely be in the $20 million range. MLSE will also pay yearly rent to Downsview for occupying the land.
I've been asked more than once if it will be open for public use. The answer is no. This is strictly for TFC and their Academy teams. You may or may not be aware however, there are already some soccer pitches there, and more to come under the Downsivew Park Sports Centre umbrella which is an ongoing project.
The timeline calls for this facility to be ready for TFC next spring, which means no more guessing about where they're training on a day-to-day basis. This was probably the most insulting thing the team has had to put up with year after year. Is it Oakville today? No the grass is too long. How about Cherry Beach? Maybe, but its artificial. What about BMO Field then? No, we don't want to destroy our match pitch after all the rain.
Those days are over; at least starting next year.
They seem to have thought of everything, right down to having the main training pitch exactly (as much as possible) like the one at BMO Field. Good idea.
It was hilarious watching and listening to TFC assistant Bob de Klerk giving the assembled crowd Soccer Academy 101. All based on his nine years at Ajax. He, more than anyone seemed jacked about the academy program.
So there it is; one piece of very good news during another season in which good news is hard to come by.
