Images: Populous
RAJ Sports, the sports investment platform for the Bhathal family, owners and operators of Portland Thorns in the NWSL and the new Portland WNBA franchise, have engaged Populous for a sports performance centre which is envisioned to be the “global epicentre of women’s sport”.
Designed by Populous, the $150m (£120.4m/€144.4m) complex is being touted as a first-of-its-kind in that it will serve both the women’s professional soccer and women’s professional basketball team. The 12-acre performance centre will feature the following:
- 63,000-square-foot training facility
- 17,000-square-foot practice gym, featuring two full size basketball courts
- Two full-sized soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone
- A 5,000 square-foot, dynamic strength training facility featuring top of the line equipment, an outdoor turf zone and a yoga/pilates room
- Elite training core program, integrating strength and conditioning, sports science, and sports medicine
- Dedicated dressing rooms for the WNBA and NWSL teams with amenities designed for the female athlete in a spa-like setting
- Dining room with a full-time chef and nutritionist, offering performance-focused meals and refuelling stations throughout the facility
- Dedicated rooms for player’s families
- Team meeting rooms and social media content rooms
- Private player parking and player entry for convenience and security
Committed to sustainability, RAJ Sports will repurpose an existing suburban office complex, formerly occupied by Nike, in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland to minimise environmental impact. The stakeholders said the project, a collaboration with Workspace Property Trust, is an innovative development approach to adaptive reuse.
The campus will be built over multiple phases and will consist of the performance centre for the Thorns and WNBA teams along with future uses, with the goal of creating a peak performance and recovery innovation centre focused on the female athlete. The first phase announced yesterday (Thursday) is the $75m, 12-acre state-of-the-art facility, designed by Populous.
The WNBA will return to Portland for the first time in over two decades after the Oregon city was awarded the league’s 15th franchise back in September. The Portland team, set to begin play in the 2026 season, was acquired by RAJ Sports for a reported $125m fee. RAJ Sports bought the Thorns for $63m in January 2024.
“When we acquired the Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise our family committed to investing into the Thorns, the WNBA franchise, and the Portland metro region” said RAJ Sports principal, Lisa Bhathal Merage.
“Building an innovative training facility that provides the best possible environment for our athletes across professional soccer and professional basketball will be a game changer for women’s sports.
“Our goal is to create the most inclusive and welcoming environment for our athletes, staff, supporters, fans, partners and community as we strive to be an elite organisation on the field, on the court, and in the community.”
Populous’ involvement in the Portland project comes with the company also designing the new performance centre for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever that was unveiled by Pacers Sports & Entertainment last month.
“Advocating to drive change in women’s sports, our team at Populous is committed to helping female athletes optimise their performance by designing training facilities that honour their unique needs and talents,” said Sherri Privitera, director of women’s professional sports at Populous.
“Our local office rooted in the Portland community, combined with our team of experts across the country, are thrilled to work in concert with the Portland Thorns and WNBA expansion franchise to design this new, purpose-built training facility.”
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