The dedicated performance centre is expected to open in 2028 at Exhibition Place just steps from Coca-Cola Coliseum, the team announced on Friday.
The facility will house two WNBA regulation courts, various player amenities and locker rooms equipped with training and recovery resources.
The announcement was made at the team’s home arena, Coca-Cola Coliseum, with majority owner Larry Tanenbaum, Tempo president Teresa Resch, Mayor Olivia Chow and Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik on hand.
“This performance centre is about building the foundation for sustained excellence,” general manager Monica Wright Rogers said in a statement sent out by the team. “Our players deserve a world-class environment that supports every aspect of their development, and our community deserves access to spaces that inspire the next generation. This facility will be both.”
The facility will be built on an “underused” parking lot at Exhibition Place.
It will also be available to the community during the off-season and when the Tempo are out of town for up to 2,200 hours of programming per year. The facility will be completely funded by the Tempo, leasing the property from the city.
The space will be outfitted with a dedicated mothers’ room, individual showers, sports performance and sports medicine areas, a player lounge and dining area, a theatre space for team development and film study, conference rooms, and basketball operations business spaces.
There will also be hydrotherapy pools, a sauna, a wellness consult room and advance areas for players to recover in.
“We’re partnering with the Toronto Tempo to turn an underused site into a world-class facility that serves both professional athletes and the public,” Toronto mayor Olivia Chow said in the same statement. “With year-round access to recreation, new park space and inclusive programming, this project delivers real benefits for residents while strengthening Toronto’s leadership in women’s sport.”
—with files from the Canadian Press