Chargers announce plans to build new complex in El Segundo
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - The Los Angeles Chargers have announced plans to build new team headquarters and a training facility in El Segundo.
The team said on Monday that it has reached an agreement with Continental Development Corporation and Mar Ventures, Inc. to construct the complex on a 14-acre site. The project still has to go before El Segundo’s city planning commission and is estimated to be completed by the spring of 2024.
Get your top stories delivered daily! Sign up for FOX 11’s Fast 5 newsletter. And, get breaking news alerts in the FOX 11 News app. Download for iOS or Android.
The Chargers would be the third Los Angeles franchise to construct their training complex in El Segundo, joining the Lakers and Kings.
"When searching for a location to establish our hub of football and business operations, we didn’t leave a single stone unturned," owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. "This process played out for more than four years because we weren’t willing to settle. Good enough wasn’t going to cut it. We wanted great, and we finally found it."
The facility -- which is being constructed with Continental Development Corp. and Mar Ventures, Inc. -- will include a roof-top hospitality club, full eSports gaming and content studios and a 3,100-square-foot media center within the headquarters.
Team officials said the complex will have an emphasis on player efficiency and movement between spaces, including direct access to the fields from player and coaching areas.
"The goal is for the Chargers to become the standard of excellence in the NFL," coach Brandon Staley said. "This new facility demonstrates our organization's commitment to that standard."
The main building will span nearly 145,000 square feet. Outside that building will be three natural grass fields with an artificial turf perimeter. A 7,600-square-foot elevated outdoor terrace will overlook the fields, and the facility will have an additional 3,400-square-foot elevated outdoor turf area and a two-lane lap pool for player rehabilitation.
The Chargers plan to conduct training camp at the facility, so the field has the capacity for 5,000 fans on bleacher seating, as well as 348 on-site parking spaces and accommodations for offsite parking.
"The look, feel and functionality of your training facility means more today than it ever has in professional sports," general manager Tom Telesco said. "Being able to create a building that can grow with technological advances -- especially in regard to nutritional needs, strength and performance, injury prevention, medical treatment and game planning -- is crucial to sustained success.
"Everyone knows the margin between wins and losses in the NFL is razor thin. Any advantage you can create for your coaches and players, you'll take it. Having a world-class training facility definitely falls into that category."
Kings President Luc Robitaille welcomed the Chargers to the area, saying in a statement, "El Segundo has been a tremendous home for the LA Kings for more than 20 years, and throughout this time the city and the community overall have been outstanding partners."
"Our hockey club is now thrilled to help welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to the South Bay, joining us and our lifelong friends, the Lakers, in this affable community we call home. The Chargers -- their players, their staff -- are perfectly suited to add so much to El Segundo, and we look forward to partnering with them as we continue to seek opportunities to make positive contributions to the local community."
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.
CNS contributed to this report.