Portland’s professional soccer club is expanding its training footprint in Beaverton.

The Portland Timbers have signed the dotted line on a 13-acre property purchase from Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District for $25 million, the club announced Tuesday, July 1. The acquisition includes land where the team’s current training facility sits and clears the way for expansion.

The vision, per the team, is to transform its Beaverton facilities into the “Portland Timbers Performance Center” by 2026 — a space meant to elevate the club’s training and development infrastructure.

Key upgrades planned with the new acreage will see immediate additions of a second grass field — bringing the total to three fields on site. The club also has eyes on a new viewing deck off the side of the building to “offer spectators a prime vantage point to watch the teams on the pitch.”

“This decision provides us the ability to grow and expand an already elite professional training site,” Timbers General Manager Ned Grabavoy, said in a release. “Our staff and players throughout the club are thrilled for what the future holds, as we continue elevating the standards of a high-level performance and development center.”

To accommodate growing needs in staffing, office space will be expanded, and potential interior enhancements could see an indoor practice surface and expanded facilities for players. Other improvements such as a roof replacement will also be made for the sake of longevity and safety.

“Beaverton is proud to be home to the Portland Timbers’ training facility, and we’re excited to see this next chapter take shape,” Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty said. “Sports are part of our city’s identity — from youth leagues to professional teams, it’s in our DNA. This investment shows the power of public-private partnerships and what we can accomplish when we work together. We’re proud to continue building on this shared commitment to community and the future of soccer in our region.”

Shooting for community impact

According to the team, the acquisition will further its strides in community enrichment — with plans to donate over $1 million to THPRD to fund participation and access to sports for underserved youth.

The team also touts that the upgraded facilities will allow for more community events, youth soccer clinics and outreach programs in collaboration with THPRD.

“This is an exciting moment for THPRD and a win-win for the community,” Alfredo Moreno, incoming THPRD board president, said. “We are proud to support the Timbers’ efforts to expand their Beaverton training facilities and deepen community connections as they work to bring home another MLS Cup trophy. This has been a great example of how the combined efforts of city leadership, a motivated private partner, and the park district, can work together to get meaningful things done.”

The club first announced a partnership with THPRD in 2011, leasing 6,000 square feet of space for the construction of the Adidas Timbers Training Center. That relationship — and the Timbers’ presence in Beaverton — has steadily grown over the years, expanding to 8,600 square feet in 2015 and then tripling in size to 24,000 square feet in 2017.

With the 13-acre procurement, the property is set to triple in size once more — reaching 90,000 square feet.

The club’s $25 million purchase brings its total investment to roughly $40 million.

Another point for local investment

The announced expansion in Beaverton follows suit in investment toward professional sports facilities on the local front, coming not long after RAJ Sports broke ground on its Portland Thorns/Portland WNBA Women’s Sports Performance Center in April near Hillsboro.

The first-of-its-kind facility involves $75 million in first-phase development to transform a former Nike office complex into a 12-acre hub including a new training building, basketball gym with two full courts and two full-size soccer pitches. Athletes will have access to amenities such as hyperbaric therapy, red-light therapy, yoga rooms, strength training zones, a full-time chef and even dedicated family spaces.