Though the new United States Soccer Federation headquarters will be named the Arthur M. Blank National Training Center, he said the honor was a reflection of how the sport brings everyone together.
“We are excited to be part of it and to have our name connected to a beautiful thing,” he said.
The honor was bestowed during the groundbreaking on Monday. The first-of-its-kind center will be constructed in Fayette County with an estimated cost of $200 million, $50 million of which will be covered by a pledge from Falcons and Atlanta United owner Blank.
USSF hopes the center will be completed before the 2026 World Cup, which will include eight matches at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The site, comprising more than 200 acres, is located to the west of Veterans Parkway and north of Trilith Studios.
Preliminary plans for the site will include as many 12 fields, a field for beach soccer, an indoor field, more than 100,000 square feet of indoor courts, and the training center/headquarters, which will cover more than 200,000 square feet. Gensler has been hired to design the center.
The news that Blank would be the recipient was followed by a video about him and his philanthropic efforts, narrated by his son, Josh. Blank said after that didn’t know that Josh and U.S. Soccer had produced the video and that it made him emotional.
USSF President Cindy Parlow Cone and CEO JT Batson said the name of training center was officially decided recently. Blank’s pledge was announced in September.
“Arthur’s team has been unbelievably supportive from day one of this project,” Batson said. “Obviously, Arthur’s philanthropy is transformational, and his team has been even more so. Everything from how we ended up in this very specific location to how we got the Atlanta business community and philanthropic community to come together to do something special, they’ve been just great, great, great partners.”
Blank said he and his team at Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment have seen the plans for the center and have approved the renderings. He said he will be involved in making sure everything is done and any opportunities are explored, saying that once someone starts dancing with them, it usually goes on. As he does with everything he is involved in, Blank said the center will be world-class.
Blank said having the center named after him was among his proudest achievements because building it will provide a chance for young people to achieve their dreams. He said the center will help young players grow physically, emotionally and to develop self-confidence, which he said is very important.
“They go on to become great soccer players is really not important,” he said. “It will be if they go on to become great human beings because of all the human skills, the life skills development through soccer. I’ve seen that with so many young folks that I’ve been connected with over the years.”
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