Today, Phoenix Rising announced its new stadium in the Gila River Indian Community. Here’s what we learned from the launch event at Wild Horse Pass Casino:
So where is it?
The new, as-of-yet unnamed stadium, will be located at Wild Horse Pass, just south of the I-10 and Loop 202.
“That’s where our fans live, we have data to back this up,” club governor Berke Bakay said.
“Now with increased capacity and what 202 south does, you’re activating our fan base that maybe was not as frequent as we wanted, and they wanted to be, because of the access right now. Then you’ve got Mesa, you’ve got Chandler, you’ve got Gilbert, you’ve got Downtown Phoenix. That’s where our fans live, and they’re going to love the permanent facility, they’re going to love the infrastructure, permanent infrastructure, the capacity increases. It’s going to be very convenient for them when they come to see.”
With no public transportation in the vicinity, most fans will have to travel by car to the stadium. However Bakay did suggest that plans for shuttle buses like those seen at Casino Arizona Field are in the works.
Of course, some fans were not impressed with the new location, and voiced their displeasure on social media. To those fans, general manager Bobby Dulle simply asked for their support.
“Believe in this organization,” he said. “Believe in this ownership group. Believe in this club. We’re going to continue to try to listen. We certainly know that we don’t have all the answers. We’re looking for feedback in different ways, and continue to support us and we’ll support you and create opportunities. I think [we’re] an organization that is committed to winning, an organization that is committed to being good stewards in the community, and an organization that cares about our fan base. And so for us, we’re looking for feedback.
“When we lose and people want to critique us, that’s fantastic. That means we’ve got a community of people that care, and so we encourage people to reach out and support us, but give us an opportunity because that trip in and out of the stadium now, that has been a challenge, an obstacle for a lot of fans. It’s going to be greatly improved from the paved roads, to the multiple points of ingress, egress, to the accessibility from a couple major freeways. So I think that timing, if time is a concern, I think you’ll certainly make up for that on the front end and the back end. And once you’re in there, you’re going to see a lot of improvements.”
What will there be at the stadium?
The days of parking your car on dirt or using an unlit, dingy porta potty are over.
“We laugh about the simple things, you know: paved parking, permanent bathroom structures,” Rising coach Rick Schantz said. “There’s a pavilion that’s going to be for the fans prior to the games. A video board – how awesome is that for the in-game entertainment and making it exciting for people?
“We know that the product on the field is fantastic. I think now, you’re going to have a venue that matches the product. This is all about the fans. This is all about fan experience, excitement, in-game experience. I think Phoenix Rising, our ownership, has been fantastic in their vision, and this is just another step along the way. Gila River has welcomed us and said, ‘look, let’s do it the right way. Let’s make sure that we build a proper infrastructure for you,’ and I can’t wait. I can’t wait. We get to go to a training center and park on concrete, and have two training fields. I mean, it’s another level for me.”
For Bakay, many of these changes were long overdue.
“It pained us to watch out fans try to get out of our stadium,” he said. “That took sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes longer. So you’re going to see a dramatic change.
“Another one, permanent restrooms. You’re going to see permanent infrastructure, with the restroom facilities, that will be a major change. Now think about every area where the fans are spending time. You’ll see an improved and increased capacity supporters section. When you come to the stadium again, you’ll see […] more permanent structures, 35% capacity increase. We never had a family section before, and we heard our fans and are creating one. So now you’ll be able to maybe bring your family, enjoy in a different environment as a family section. If you’re one of our VIP fans, you’re going to have an improved VIP experience.
“So all in all, every single area is being improved. Capacity is increased, and there’s some additions that we didn’t have before.”
Not only will the new stadium have more seating than before, it will also be expandable.
“Having an increased capacity will help us,” Dulle said. “We sold out a lot of our matches in advance, so having that ability to have a family section now, to have increased capacity, to have, even, a lawn. You know, now with a double-sided screen that people can watch, just to be a part of it, right. We’ve certainly seen our fair share of big matches, and there’s certainly a lot of demand, so I think this is a nice step and growth in our organization and I think it gives us an opportunity to put packages and offers together for those that distance was a challenge in the past.”
Speaking on behalf of the Wild Horse Pass Developmeny Authority, Mark Grado indicated that it isn’t just the stadium itself that will see improvements.
“Gila River, as you know, is growing,” he said. “We are not landlocked like the rest of the region, for Southern Arizona. We have a lot of opportunity here. Wild Horse Pass Development Authority is who’s responsible for what you see as part of the development here. So specifically, yes, there is a continuation of growth, and that will just turn into more opportunities for hospitality and food, beverage, rooms, all kinds of business ventures that typically surround these types of leisure activites.”
But of course, the one looming question remains. Will there be tailgating?
“We’re working through all that,” Dulle said. “In fact, I’m going to meet with the supporters and introduce those guys to the fine folks here at Gila River, and we’ll certainly have some conversation and whether it’s the new lawn and the activities that can take place before the game, I know that’s something that the fans talk about a lot. We’ve heard that, similar to the other amenities that our fans are looking for, so it’s certainly not off the table, I’ll tell you that.”
How much is it going to cost?
Rising representatives avoided disclosing quite how much they’re planning to spend on the development, with Bakay saying that he “can’t divulge on the specifics of the investment, but as you can see, it’s a substantial investment.”
However, Grado estimated that the cost is “in excess of at least several million dollars.” That money will come from both Wild Horse Pass and the club, although he admitted that the club hasn’t shared the extent of its investment with him to date.
“The community has always had a specific set of funding that we are responsible for, the Wild Horse Pass Development Authority,” Grado added. “For us, we didn’t exceed any of our normal budgets. We were just very focused on spending what we did efficiently to achieve the goal of giving an opportunity to host these things.
“So without any permissions from Phoenix Rising as to what they’re doing, because they haven’t shared exclusively all the things that they’re going to be bringing to the table, I will tell you that we did it within the confines of our already allocated budgets. We didn’t have to go after or find any additional monies, because we are already this kind of destination, so this was a normal part of our growth and our packages as we were upgrading our parks.”
What does this mean on the field?
Goalkeeper Zac Lubin and defender Darnell King represented the playing staff at today’s announcement, and were keen to share their excitement.
“It was a very historic moment,” King said. “This is every kid’s dream. I’ve been saying it, and I can’t stop saying it, because when you look to the future, I think kids are going to strive to want to play at a club like this, at an organisation like this, especially with the facility that they’re putting together.
“It’s very welcoming for the fans, and families that come here, and even the players. This makes you want to come to train every day, when you know what you’re about to walk into every day. I’m super excited. There’s so many words I could say, but honestly, sometimes I just get speechless about it.”
For Lubin, a larger, packed stadium could be the key to pushing Rising to the next level.
“For the last couple of years, we’ve been selling out,” he said. “We’ve all kind of been wondering, why are we not adding seats to the stands? Like, we heard that’s a possibility, and now it’s going to be even better. It’s finally happening. We turned Casino Arizona Field into a fortress, and I think we’re going to turn this into a bigger one, so very excited. I know how loud it was with the 7-, 8,000 fans we had. Now it’s going to be next level.”
While fan amenities are improving, perhaps one of the most important aspects of the complex is that it features two practice fields. At present, Casino Arizona Field features just one.
“It’s massive,” Schantz said. “In the summertime, it’s difficult to keep fields in as good a shape as we do here. When you only have one to train on, you have to be very careful about what you do. I think now, with two training fields, with a larger area for physical development, with more shade and a more climate-controlled space for the players, I think it’s just going to allow me to be even more creative and make the team bigger, stronger and faster.”
That view was shared by his man in goal.
“As goalkeepers, we tear up a lot of grass, and diving around, it’s always nice to have a fresh spot,” Lubin said. “So to have two full training pitches, with how hard we work in training, we put pretty good wear and tear on them, so it’s even better to have multiple fields and a more permanent faciltiy. It’s all very exciting.”
But will the improved facilities help the club to bring in new players?
“Well, to be honest, those trophies up there on the stage help us a whole lot more than where we play, but this is big time,” Schantz said. “I think the training facility for players is extremely important. I think the community and where they live, the accessibility to other things that they want to do… I mean, Chandler’s a great city, but we’re only 10 minutes from Tempe. We’re only 15, 20 minutes from Scottsdale. The freeway system here in Phoenix is unbelievable, so when we bring out players and they know that they’re going to be training on world class fields, in a world class facility, that just helps us.”
So what’s next?
To Rising’s coach, this development is a sign that the club means business.
“Well, nationally, when you start talking about 9-, 10,000 seats, you’re getting pretty serious,” Schantz said. “If we can start selling out 10,000, and maybe squeeze in another 2- or 3,000 over time on that, for me, it’s a club that behaves like they’re already in the MLS. They’ve talked about it before with me, and it was my idea with the players, if we want to go to the MLS we need to start behaving like we’re in the MLS now. And I think we’ve proven it with our staff, we’ve proven it with the players that we bring in, and now the ownership and Gila River are proving it with the infrastructure.
“There’s desire to be at the very, very top level, and when they say it, I think that now there’s proof. When these guys say something, they’re going to do something. They mean it.”
The club is locked in to a multi-year deal that should see it stay at the Wild Horse Pass site longer than it spent at Casino Arizona Field. However, a lot of opportunity exists for further development at the location.
“It’s six years, initally, but we’re looking for a much bigger, better, final destination – that’s the hope,” Grado said. “This gives us both the opportunity to gauge the development needs and what we have to do to get to. I think we all want to see Phoenix Rising reach the apex of what their final goals are, and I think that’s an MLS badge, and that’s what we’d like to see for them too.”
Yet as rumors abound that MLS is emphasizing downtown stadia, will this move help the club to crack the top flight?
“Phoenix is the number 5 market in the United States,” Bakay said. “We have one of the fastest growing populations. It’s an extremely important media market. We have a great relationship with the league we are in. We’re proud of where we are with the USL Championship, and at the same time, we have a great working relationship with the team at MLS, and they’re very closely watching what’s going on including what just happened here and what can happen in the future. The location of where we are today, I can’t think of a better location when you look at where our fans are coming from. So that’s for whatever league you’re in – in USL, in MLS, I don’t care what league you’re in. The idea is how do you make it accessible and convenient for your fans, and that’s what we have here.”
At the end of the day, though, it all comes down to lifting trophies whatever the level.
“What we talk about is being part of a winning culture, and building a winning culture, and I loved it when Governor Lewis said that this is Winner’s Circle,” Schantz said. “I can’t wait until we have that Championship trophy and we can take a tour around Winner’s Circle with the Governor. That’d be pretty cool.”