Atlanta United opens $25 million expansion, including Emory Healthcare Studio

Atlanta United opened its doors to the $25 million expansion at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground during a ribbon cutting event at the club's headquarters. The expansion nearly doubles the capacity to 50,000 square feet and brings total investment in the facility to more than $90 million.

Featuring the new state-of-the-art Emory Healthcare Studio, the expanded facility will continue supporting First Team, Atlanta United 2 and Academy operations while bolstering the club's ability to host top international clubs and federations for years to come.

"Today is a celebration of our continued growth and dedication to the sport of soccer, and what Atlanta United represents," says Arthur M. Blank, owner and chairman, Blank Family of Businesses. "From the very beginning, our vision was to build something extraordinary. None of this would be possible without the city of Marietta being exceptional partners and the home of our training ground since day one, and now with these updates, we take another step forward together. This expansion reflects our commitment to the game, the city and in creating a best-in-class environment for our players, associates, fans and community partners."

The grand opening featured a formal ribbon cutting and remarks from Blank, Atlanta United chief business officer Skate Noftsinger, city of Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta chief administration officer Linda Matzigkeit and Emory Healthcare CEO and Executive Vice President for Woodruff Health Sciences Joon Lee, MD.

The 20,000-square foot expansion project will provide significant improvements across both the sporting and business functions of the club, primarily in three key areas: First Team player health and well-being, youth development and front office resources.

"We are proud to celebrate the expansion of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground and our longstanding partnership with Atlanta United," says Matzigkeit. "These new additions will help elevate Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground to new heights and provide important resources for players at every level of the organization."

Most notably, the expansion features the Emory Healthcare Studio, which will serve as the creative hub of the club's growing media operation, giving Atlanta United the capability to produce the highest level of digital content seen across professional sports. The studio reinforces the strong relationship between Atlanta United and Emory Healthcare, the club's official team health care provider, and highlights their shared commitment to innovation while delivering an unmatched experience for fans, patients and partners alike.

"This exciting expansion, along with the launch of the new Emory Healthcare Studio, represents the next chapter in our collaboration with Atlanta United - offering a unique hub for storytelling and content creation," Lee says. "This studio will be a powerful platform to share stories of health, wellness and resilience, while creating connections between athletes, caregivers, patients, families, fans and our community."

The completed expansion project now marks the beginning of the second phase of upgrades to the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Training Ground. During the offseason, the club will repurpose areas in the building's original footprint to dedicate more space to First Team training and rehabilitation, notably by converting areas to aid in player recovery, environmental adaptation and video review.

Additionally, existing Academy office space will be fully converted to classrooms, better equipping the club's development staff and its academic partner Atlanta International School for academy players pursuing high school diplomas.

"This world-class facility showcases Arthur's commitment to Atlanta United as the gold standard in MLS by raising the bar for player health and well-being, youth development and content production, while simultaneously giving us the ability to host international clubs and federations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and beyond," Noftsinger says. "This expansion gives our players and associates the resources that they need to perform at their best and to bring an unmatched soccer experience to the entire Atlanta community."

Overall, the 33-acre campus features 50,000-square feet of working space for both the business and sporting sides, 500,000-square feet of playing surface with six full-length fields, two gyms, seven locker rooms, three digital content studios and more than 100 workspaces for its front office.

The expansion project was led by IMPACT Development Management. Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio (RJTR) was the architectural and interior design firm, while Whiting-Turner was the general contractor.

About Emory Healthcare

Emory Healthcare, with 29,500 employees and 11 hospitals, is the most comprehensive academic health system in Georgia. System-wide, it has 3,028 licensed patient beds, more than 3,800 physicians practicing in more than 70 specialties, serving metro Atlanta and Georgia. It also provides services to greater Georgia through a joint venture at St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in Columbus, six regional affiliate hospitals and its clinically integrated physician network.

About Atlanta United

Atlanta United joined Major League Soccer in 2017 and won the 2018 MLS Cup in just its second season, the earliest an expansion team has won the title since 1998. The club has set multiple league records including season tickets sales (36,000-plus), single-season average (53,002) and total home attendance (901,033). Owned by Arthur M. Blank, Atlanta United plays its home matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. For more information about Atlanta United, including how to purchase season tickets, visit: https://www.atlutd.comand follow @ATLUTD.