A couple of years again, Detroit Lions staff president and CEO Rod Wooden instructed reporters the staff was within the very early levels of exploring choices to discover a new residence for his or her coaching facility, presently situated in Allen Park. However after spending the previous two years renovating their present residence, Wooden stated on Tuesday that the staff now not has relocation plans.
“We have now no plans to maneuver proper now,” Wooden instructed a small group of Detroit reporters. “We’re investing a ton within the constructing. We’ve checked out alternate options. There actually isn’t an excellent location that’s superior to the place we’re. We’re handy to downtown, we’re handy to the airport, we’re close to all of the highways. Folks have determined the place to stay primarily based upon the place the ability is, so it’d be very disruptive, I feel, to maneuver, and it must be one thing that’s considerably higher than what we now have.”
Wooden admitted that the one draw back to staying the place they’re at is there may be not important room for a 3rd out of doors discipline, and so they aren’t in a position to increase a lot to accommodate extra followers throughout coaching camp. However with current investments into their coaching and weight room—plus a recent partnership with Meijer and incoming income from an extension through Ford Area naming rights—Wooden believes their present facility has the lodging of a brand-new facility, regardless of it being the Lions’ residence since 2002.
“When individuals stroll in, they don’t consider it’s 20-plus years outdated. It seems new,” Wooden stated.
This yr, the ability is planning on upgrading the gamers’ locker room—an overdue renovation for the gamers. Within the public NFLPA report playing cards that had been launched earlier this yr, the Lions acquired only a C+ when it got here to their locker room, grading 18th within the NFL—considered one of their lowest rankings this yr. Per the report, solely 75 p.c of gamers felt that they had sufficient room of their particular person locker, rating twenty first out of 32 groups.
“You guys will see once you are available, we’re doing quite a lot of renovation to Allen Park once more this yr. A model new locker room for the gamers, increasing the burden room, all new weight gear,” Wooden stated. “Staying modern with all these issues is helped by that sort of (sponsorship) income, in addition to will increase in income elsewhere.”
Lions gamers will descend upon the upgraded facility later this month, with the beginning of organized staff actions scheduled for late April.
