Foxhall, an expansive resort in Douglas County, is being considered as a training facility site for Atlanta United FC.
The site was identified by the Neighbor Newspapers. An Atlanta United FC spokeswoman declined to say if Foxhall is being considered. A call to a Foxhall Resort spokesperson hasn't been returned.
Atlanta United FC President Darren Eales said on Wednesday that they hope to make a decision on the site for the training center and developmental academy by the end of next week.
Three sites are being considered. One is near Franklin Road in Marietta. Foxhall is located near the center of Douglas County, 36 miles from the site of the new stadium that would be the team’s home for games.
The third site hasn’t been named.
“We’re continuing to work on that and hopefully will have something firm on that in the not too distant future, but it’s a pretty complex formula,” team owner Arthur Blank said Thursday. “We have a number of sites that are competing. We’re blessed really because we ended up with a large number of opportunities in the greater Atlanta area and now it’s time to figure out what makes sense on a long-term basis for us and the franchise.”
Eales said on Wednesday there are more than 20 factors, including size and financing, which will help them decide between the sites.
Though the club will begin play in 2017, Eales said they need to have the training facility constructed no later than Dec. 2016.
Eales said he would like to have 50 acres so that the first team and the developmental academy can train together with enough room remaining so that the community can use the available space.
Technical director Carlos Bocanegra said they hope to have the academy running by next summer. If the training facility isn’t complete, the academy will find a solution.
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