New York Liberty To Build $80M Brooklyn Practice Facility
The reigning WNBA champions are getting ready to put another jewel in their crown.
The New York Liberty plan to develop an $80M training facility in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, the team announced Thursday. The building would abut Newtown Creek, which separates Brooklyn and Queens, and be paid for entirely by the team's ownership, led by Joe and Clara Wu Tsai.
The architecture firm behind the project is Populous, which designed The Sphere in Las Vegas. It worked in tandem with Liberty stars Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones to design the first high-end sports facility with women's health and wellness in mind.
“It is important to let our personalities shine and have a place where you can really express yourself,” Jones, the 2024 WNBA Finals MVP, said in a statement. “This new facility is not only about functionality, it is about creating a space that truly reflects who we are as athletes and people.”
Instead of a traditional locker room, each player will have her own suite with a full wardrobe, vanity and 7-foot-long daybed. The team also plans to build a rooftop dining area with private chefs, two practice courts with data-tracking cameras, an indoor/outdoor weight room and a hair, nail and makeup studio. There will also be two family lounges with a nursery area.
“The Liberty made this facility a true player-led endeavor, incorporating our insights to help us be our best, while strengthening our bond as a team and with the New York community,” Stewart said in a statement. “As a mom, I’m especially grateful for the family rooms — it means everything to know my family is cared for while I stay locked in on my craft.”
The Liberty will lease the site, converting a former lightbulb factory along Newtown Creek and constructing a 40K SF addition. The design also includes three floors of office space for team executives and public-facing retail.
The precise location and property's owner are unclear. The facility is expected to open in 2027.
“The New York Liberty deserve a facility of their own: one that reflects their tremendous talent, work ethic, and ambition,” Wu Tsai said in a statement. “This facility is a sign of our commitment to the team, to the city of New York, and to the advancement of women’s sports.”
The team today shares a practice facility with the Brooklyn Nets, owned by Alibaba co-founder and Chairman Joe Tsai. The team has a $50M facility on an Industry City rooftop, and it leases 70K SF for its corporate headquarters in the Sunset Park adaptive reuse complex.
The practice facility contributes to the city's burgeoning sports development landscape. The New York City Football Club MLS team is moving forward on building a dedicated, 25,000-seat soccer stadium at Willets Point in Queens. The team secured a $425M construction loan last year from JPMorgan Chase to build Etihad Park, which is expected to anchor a 2,500-unit affordable housing project from Related Cos. and Sterling Equities.
