FIRST LOOK | Behind the scenes with LouCity FC moving into new training facility

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville City Football Club players have passed the building every day for more than a year on River Road. This week, they finally got to move in.

The club's new privately funded $15 million home just down the road from Lynn Family Stadium will house LouCity, Racing Louisville FC, as well as the youth academy and office staff. It becomes the day-to-day headquarters for all of the Soccer Holdings LLC properties.

“It shows the growth of the club,” LouCity interim head coach Danny Cruz said. “This facility’s unbelievable. It’s pretty amazing to see the smiles on the guys’ faces when they walk in. Everything here has been fantastic.”

Ground was broken on the project on Aug. 4, 2020.

A new era begins.Taking their next big step, Louisville City FC players and staff moved into the club's $15 million training facility on Monday. First impressions and a behind the scenes look.👇 pic.twitter.com/e5V8fb7ibl
— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) June 29, 2021

The facility — built by AML Construction and operated by ASM Global -- will be completed after minor construction is finished in the coming weeks before a public ribbon cutting.

“We started in 2015 on a baseball field, in an office that doubled as our team store, and now we’re moving into a 30,000 square-foot facility housing our men’s pro team, women’s pro team, academy and staff,” said club president Brad Estes. “It was all pulled off during a pandemic, which speaks to our ownership’s faith in the organization’s vision to press forward. Culturally, as we see each other daily and forge deeper relationships, we believe this is the next big step for us to grow together as an organization.”

Completion of the facility will end a daily commute for Louisville teams, which have been holding team meetings and video sessions at the stadium but traveling to Champions Park for their training.

"That’s going to be one of the biggest things for us — just be able to come in, have our meetings here, change here, train here and come back,” said Paolo DelPiccolo, a veteran midfielder and LouCity’s captain.

Cruz emphasized that the players have had to earn this sort of setup.

“We talk a ton about not taking things for granted,” Cruz said. “I think it’s no secret that here at Louisville City, we’re doing things right. When you come here and wear this crest, there’s a sense of pride that comes with it. I want everybody, when they walk into this place, to not think, ‘This is great. We deserve it.’ It’s more about, ‘I’m proud to be here, and I want to be here.’”

Facilities for LouCity and Racing Louisville are nearly mirror images of each another. The professionals will primarily use grass pitches, while the academy trains on turf.

The facility already has hosted a number of community events, from college soccer games to youth sports camps.