CHARLOTTE, NC (Tuesday, October 10, 2023) – Charlotte FC today unveiled the Club’s permanent training facility and business headquarters – Atrium Health Performance Park.
Located off Monroe Road in East Charlotte, Atrium Health Performance Park is home to almost 200 players and staff across the entire organization. The project, which was privately financed, features a 52,000 square-foot facility, and will include access to eight soccer fields for sporting and community purposes once fully complete.
“Delivering a first-class training facility and business headquarters for Charlotte FC was one of our organization’s key objectives this year and we’re proud to unveil Atrium Health Performance Park publicly for the first time,” said Charlotte FC owner David Tepper. “Charlotte FC’s vision is to be a leader across Major League Soccer both on and off the pitch. This investment in infrastructure positions our Club to maximize player performance and professional development, but also allows our facility to be a community asset that embraces our neighbors here in East Charlotte.”
Charlotte FC reached an agreement in August 2022 with Levine Properties to house the site at 8600 McAlpine Park Drive in East Charlotte where the Club completed a full remodeling of an existing structure. Players and staff began moving into the facility in August of 2023.
The site features access to six full soccer pitches, along with two half pitches, for the Club’s First Team, MLS NEXT Pro side Crown Legacy FC and the Academy. One of the synthetic turf pitches will be designated for the community and is currently under construction.
“Atrium Health Performance Park is a foundational piece of our story and we’re excited to finally be together as a football club under one roof,” said Charlotte FC President Joe LaBue. “As we continue to be a team the Carolinas are proud of, this facility is designed to push our organization forward on all fronts. We’re delighted to partner with Atrium Health, which shares a common vision that goes beyond the field of play. We are committed to making our pitches available for a variety of community programming that has the power to impact the lives of those around us.”
Atrium Health, a founding partner of the Club, is a key supporter of soccer and community programming through Charlotte FC. Together, the Club and Atrium Health have partnered on soccer clinics during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, in addition to hosting monthly sessions for the high school leadership program, Captains Academy.
“The health and well-being of athletes, at all levels and of all ages, can greatly influence their performance on and off the field, pitch or court," said Ken Haynes, president of the Southeast region for Advocate Health. “That’s why, Atrium Health – now part of Charlotte-based Advocate Health – is honored to be the naming rights partner of Charlotte FC’s new training facility, Atrium Health Performance Park and be the official health care partner of Charlotte FC. This facility will serve as a one-stop-shop for its professional players to receive both care and training by our top-notch sports medicine specialists.”
Atrium Health Performance Park is tailor-made for sporting performance and features an array of amenities designed to promote player development. The building features locker rooms for all teams, a cafeteria designed for player nutrition that leads to an outdoor patio, and a state-of-the-art 2,800-square-foot weight room designed by the Club’s Director of Performance & Sports Science Jon MacGregor and Head of Performance Adam Parr.
The area, which includes the weights, racks, and flooring, was outfitted by PLAE and the first the company has designed for an MLS club.
"Atrium Health is proud to be a part of the training facility for Charlotte FC," said Dr. Claude T. Moorman, president of the Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute. "From biomechanics and athletic trainers to sports dieticians and team physicians, this allows us to provide input on the fitness level of athletes, suggest performance optimization and facilitate injury prevention. Atrium Health Performance Park will enable our team of experts to continue to provide the highest level of care to the Charlotte FC players.”
Atrium Health is home to the largest orthopedic and sports medicine provider in the region, serving 20 professional and collegiate teams and more than 100 high schools across North Carolina.
"This collaboration is continued evidence of our commitment to the community and to take these athletes to their maximum level within MLS," said Moorman.
“Our new home at Atrium Health Performance Park firmly establishes Charlotte FC as a leader in sporting infrastructure in Major League Soccer. This environment is critical for developing our players through our professional pathway. This is a game changer for our Academy set up and is crucial for continued development across all the youth levels we have,” said Charlotte FC Sporting Director Zoran Krneta. “Our players have felt at home here since the day they moved in, and a facility of this magnitude is a big reason why future players will see Charlotte FC as a destination to begin or continue their careers.”
The general contractor on the project was Brasfield & Gorrie. Architects include Smith Harris Design Associates, Gensler, and Orsborn Engineering Group.
