Plans to Build World’s First Dual-Sport Women’s Performance Center, Elevating Standards in Training, Recovery, and Holistic Wellness for Female Athletes
PORTLAND, Ore. (February 6, 2025) – RAJ Sports, the sports investment platform for the Bhathal Family, owners and operators of Portland Thorns FC and the new Portland WNBA franchise, today announced plans for a first-of-its-kind dual sport women’s performance center, serving both a women’s professional soccer (NWSL) and a women’s professional basketball (WNBA) team.
Designed as a facility that champions innovation and athletic excellence, the performance center will feature a first of its kind elite training core, elevating the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting.
“It’s an exciting time for our Club, and as players we are thrilled to be getting a first of its kind, dedicated women's performance center," said Portland Thorns forward, Sophia Wilson (formerly Sophia Smith). "This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes. Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."
From recovery lounges and hyperbaric therapy to active recovery pools and red-light therapy, every detail is crafted to maximize performance, accelerate recovery, and sustain peak excellence. Built with intention, it will foster an environment of interaction between both teams while embracing the importance of family, community, and the evolving needs of female athletes.
“When we acquired the Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise our family committed to investing into the Thorns, the WNBA franchise, and the Portland metro region” said Lisa Bhathal Merage. “Building an innovative training facility that provides the best possible environment for our athletes across professional soccer and professional basketball will be a game changer for women’s sports. Our goal is to create the most inclusive and welcoming environment for our athletes, staff, supporters, fans, partners and community as we strive to be an elite organization on the field, on the court, and in the community.”
The 12-acre performance center will feature the following:
· 63,000-square-foot training facility
· 17,000-square-foot practice gym, featuring two full size basketball courts
· Two full-sized soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone
· A 5,000 square-foot, dynamic strength training facility featuring top of the line equipment, an outdoor turf zone and a yoga/pilates room
· Elite training core program, integrating strength and conditioning, sports science, and sports medicine
· Dedicated dressing rooms for the WNBA and NWSL teams with amenities designed for the female athlete in a spa like setting
· Dining room with a full-time chef and nutritionist, offering performance-focused meals and refueling stations throughout the facility
· Dedicated rooms for player’s families
· Team meeting rooms and social media content rooms
· Private player parking and player entry for convenience and security
Committed to sustainability, RAJ Sports will repurpose an existing suburban office complex in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland that was previously occupied by Nike to minimize environmental impact. The project, a collaboration with Workspace Property Trust is an innovative development approach to adaptive reuse.
“Workspace Property Trust is proud to have developed a solution that enables
the transformation of this traditional office environment into a top-tier training facility for the
Thorns and Portland’s future WNBA team,” said Tom Rizk, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of
Workspace.
The campus, which is envisioned to be the global epicenter of women’s sport, will be built over multiple phases at a total cost in excess of $150 million and will consist of the performance center for the Thorns and WNBA teams along with future uses, with the goal of creating a peak performance and recovery innovation center focused on the female athlete. The first phase announced today is a $75 million, 12-acre state-of-the-art facility, designed by world-renowned global architecture and design firm, Populous.
“Advocating to drive change in women’s sports, our team at Populous is committed to helping female athletes optimize their performance by designing training facilities that honor their unique needs and talents,” said Sherri Privitera, Director of Women’s Professional Sports, Populous. “Our local office rooted in the Portland community, combined with our team of experts across the country, are thrilled to work in concert with the Portland Thorns and WNBA expansion franchise to design this new, purpose-built training facility.”
The Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise are supported in this new performance center by First Tech Federal Credit Union, the first Community Game Changer partner, further reinforcing a shared commitment to the future of women’s sports.
Fans looking to secure Portland Thorns tickets for the 2025 Season can visit https://www.thorns.com/tickets. Fans who wish to buy Portland WNBA season tickets can do so by placing a $26 deposit at WNBA.com/portland. Full pricing and seat selection for season tickets will be released at a later date. The deposit ensures access to Portland WNBA season tickets when they become available.
For more information about the Portland Thorns, please visit www.Thorns.com and follow on social media @thornsfc.
PR Contact: Lauren Monroe | Lauren@monroemediahouse.com
ABOUT RAJ SPORTS:
RAJ Sports, led by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, focuses on investment opportunities in sports and sports-related properties, drawing on the Bhathal family’s multi-generational experience and relationships in the industry. The firm seeks to leverage the power of sports to affect broader social and economic change through a variety of business and philanthropic strategies. Its deep experience in professional sports operations and large-scale real estate developments that create thriving community centers, positions the firm to deliver valuable assets that will support further growth for the players, staff, and fans. In 2013, the Bhathal family became investors in the Sacramento Kings (NBA); subsequently building the platform to include the Sacramento RiverCats (MiLB), Stockton Kings (NBA G-League) and several sports anchored real estate developments. The 2024 acquisitions of Portland Thorns (NWSL) and the WNBA Portland expansion team represents a milestone for the city of Portland and places it at the epicenter of growth for women’s sports.
ABOUT POPULOUS:
Populous is a global design firm at the forefront of innovation and leading the charge in women’s professional sports. The firm began with a singular focus — to draw people together around the things they love, through experiences that capture all the senses and amplify the pure emotion shared in human moments. Over the last 40 years, the firm has designed more than 3,500 projects worth over $60 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous’ comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, branded environments, wayfinding, and graphics, planning and urban design, landscape architecture, aviation and transport design, hospitality and sustainable design consulting. Populous has over 1,500 employees in 31 global offices on four continents with regional centers in Kansas City, London and Brisbane. For more information, visit www.populous.com.
ABOUT WORKSPACE:
Workspace Property Trust is a privately held, vertically integrated, full-service commercial real estate company specializing in the ownership, management, leasing and development of office and light industrial, R&D and flex space across the US. Founded in 2015, Workspace owns and operates twelve office properties in South Florida and approximately 19 million square feet of suburban office and light industrial properties in markets across the country, including 14 of the top 20 US metropolitan areas. For more information on Workspace, please visit www.workspaceproperty.com.
Plans to Build World’s First Dual-Sport Women’s Performance Center, Elevating Standards in Training, Recovery, and Holistic Wellness for Female Athletes
PORTLAND, Ore. (February 6, 2025) – RAJ Sports, the sports investment platform for the Bhathal Family, owners and operators of Portland Thorns FC and the new Portland WNBA franchise, today announced plans for a first-of-its-kind dual sport women’s performance center, serving both a women’s professional soccer (NWSL) and a women’s professional basketball (WNBA) team.
Designed as a facility that champions innovation and athletic excellence, the performance center will feature a first of its kind elite training core, elevating the standard of athletic development by integrating cutting-edge training, advanced recovery, and holistic wellness with lifestyle elements specific to the needs of female athletes in a collaborative multi-team setting.
“It’s an exciting time for our Club, and as players we are thrilled to be getting a first of its kind, dedicated women's performance center," said Portland Thorns forward, Sophia Wilson (formerly Sophia Smith). "This kind of high-performance training facility allows us to elevate every part of our game, becoming better and more well-rounded athletes. Having a space designed specifically for female athletes gives us yet another leg up on the competition and will be vital to our future successes."
From recovery lounges and hyperbaric therapy to active recovery pools and red-light therapy, every detail is crafted to maximize performance, accelerate recovery, and sustain peak excellence. Built with intention, it will foster an environment of interaction between both teams while embracing the importance of family, community, and the evolving needs of female athletes.
“When we acquired the Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise our family committed to investing into the Thorns, the WNBA franchise, and the Portland metro region” said Lisa Bhathal Merage. “Building an innovative training facility that provides the best possible environment for our athletes across professional soccer and professional basketball will be a game changer for women’s sports. Our goal is to create the most inclusive and welcoming environment for our athletes, staff, supporters, fans, partners and community as we strive to be an elite organization on the field, on the court, and in the community.”
The 12-acre performance center will feature the following:
· 63,000-square-foot training facility
· 17,000-square-foot practice gym, featuring two full size basketball courts
· Two full-sized soccer pitches with an outdoor training zone
· A 5,000 square-foot, dynamic strength training facility featuring top of the line equipment, an outdoor turf zone and a yoga/pilates room
· Elite training core program, integrating strength and conditioning, sports science, and sports medicine
· Dedicated dressing rooms for the WNBA and NWSL teams with amenities designed for the female athlete in a spa like setting
· Dining room with a full-time chef and nutritionist, offering performance-focused meals and refueling stations throughout the facility
· Dedicated rooms for player’s families
· Team meeting rooms and social media content rooms
· Private player parking and player entry for convenience and security
Committed to sustainability, RAJ Sports will repurpose an existing suburban office complex in Hillsboro, Oregon, just west of Portland that was previously occupied by Nike to minimize environmental impact. The project, a collaboration with Workspace Property Trust is an innovative development approach to adaptive reuse.
“Workspace Property Trust is proud to have developed a solution that enables
the transformation of this traditional office environment into a top-tier training facility for the
Thorns and Portland’s future WNBA team,” said Tom Rizk, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of
Workspace.
The campus, which is envisioned to be the global epicenter of women’s sport, will be built over multiple phases at a total cost in excess of $150 million and will consist of the performance center for the Thorns and WNBA teams along with future uses, with the goal of creating a peak performance and recovery innovation center focused on the female athlete. The first phase announced today is a $75 million, 12-acre state-of-the-art facility, designed by world-renowned global architecture and design firm, Populous.
“Advocating to drive change in women’s sports, our team at Populous is committed to helping female athletes optimize their performance by designing training facilities that honor their unique needs and talents,” said Sherri Privitera, Director of Women’s Professional Sports, Populous. “Our local office rooted in the Portland community, combined with our team of experts across the country, are thrilled to work in concert with the Portland Thorns and WNBA expansion franchise to design this new, purpose-built training facility.”
The Portland Thorns and the Portland WNBA franchise are supported in this new performance center by First Tech Federal Credit Union, the first Community Game Changer partner, further reinforcing a shared commitment to the future of women’s sports.
Fans looking to secure Portland Thorns tickets for the 2025 Season can visit https://www.thorns.com/tickets. Fans who wish to buy Portland WNBA season tickets can do so by placing a $26 deposit at WNBA.com/portland. Full pricing and seat selection for season tickets will be released at a later date. The deposit ensures access to Portland WNBA season tickets when they become available.
For more information about the Portland Thorns, please visit www.Thorns.com and follow on social media @thornsfc.
PR Contact: Lauren Monroe | Lauren@monroemediahouse.com
ABOUT RAJ SPORTS:
RAJ Sports, led by Alex Bhathal and Lisa Bhathal Merage, focuses on investment opportunities in sports and sports-related properties, drawing on the Bhathal family’s multi-generational experience and relationships in the industry. The firm seeks to leverage the power of sports to affect broader social and economic change through a variety of business and philanthropic strategies. Its deep experience in professional sports operations and large-scale real estate developments that create thriving community centers, positions the firm to deliver valuable assets that will support further growth for the players, staff, and fans. In 2013, the Bhathal family became investors in the Sacramento Kings (NBA); subsequently building the platform to include the Sacramento RiverCats (MiLB), Stockton Kings (NBA G-League) and several sports anchored real estate developments. The 2024 acquisitions of Portland Thorns (NWSL) and the WNBA Portland expansion team represents a milestone for the city of Portland and places it at the epicenter of growth for women’s sports.
ABOUT POPULOUS:
Populous is a global design firm at the forefront of innovation and leading the charge in women’s professional sports. The firm began with a singular focus — to draw people together around the things they love, through experiences that capture all the senses and amplify the pure emotion shared in human moments. Over the last 40 years, the firm has designed more than 3,500 projects worth over $60 billion across emerging and established markets. Populous’ comprehensive services include architecture, interior design, event planning and overlay, branded environments, wayfinding, and graphics, planning and urban design, landscape architecture, aviation and transport design, hospitality and sustainable design consulting. Populous has over 1,500 employees in 31 global offices on four continents with regional centers in Kansas City, London and Brisbane. For more information, visit www.populous.com.
ABOUT WORKSPACE:
Workspace Property Trust is a privately held, vertically integrated, full-service commercial real estate company specializing in the ownership, management, leasing and development of office and light industrial, R&D and flex space across the US. Founded in 2015, Workspace owns and operates twelve office properties in South Florida and approximately 19 million square feet of suburban office and light industrial properties in markets across the country, including 14 of the top 20 US metropolitan areas. For more information on Workspace, please visit www.workspaceproperty.com.
.png)
.png)
