Only 1.5 years after the inauguration of the facility in Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix, the club, which plays in the USL Championship, is planning another move. The new stadium is expected to hold a comparable number of spectators, but to be located much closer to the center of the metropolis.

In mid-November 2022, the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved a five-year ground lease between the city and the Phoenix Rising Football Club. The Arizona State capital will therefore be home to yet another stadium as well as a training ground. Even the location has already been revealed. It is 3801 East Washington Street, north of Sky Harbor Airport, near Phoenix Park 'n Swap.

Having in mind the inauguration of Wild Horse Pass Stadium last April, this move seems a bit odd, especially as the new arena will still not be a final destination for the Rising. The stadium of the USL Championship representative (the second tier of soccer in the US) has even been nominated in our annual Stadium of the Year competition. It came 14th in the latst edition of SOTY. Not bad to be honest.

© Phoenix Rising Football Club

Interestingly, this is the second time that there will be an almost literal transfer of the stadium from one location to another. The 6,200-capacity Casino Arizona Field in the city of Tempe, Arizona proved too small for the Rising. Enough to say that by the end of its existence, as many as 23 games in a row were sold-out. This shows how great the love of sports is in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and fans can bet on their favourite team at football sport betting. At the end of the 2020 season, the Rising decided to expand the facility. Moreover, they chose a new location for it, in Chandler, where the original appearance of the venue was to be preserved. And this is exactly what happened.

However, less than two years after the opening, a similar procedure will take place again. This time without an increase in the number of seats, though. It turned out that the choice of a location outside of Phoenix did not quite serve the team, which... has never played in the city which in theory appears in its name. This is now set to change. I’m excited to welcome Phoenix Rising to Phoenix, said Kate Gallego, city mayor. The temporary stadium and nearby venues may include concession stands, portable betting facilities as well as a training ground. 

The club aims to inaugurate the facility at the new location in March 2023. The stadium is expected to provide sufficient parking places for fans while public transport is supposed to be improved by the nearby Valley Metro Station stop. The first year's rent will amount to $300,000 for the club, with a lease period of five years. Knowing the Rising, by then the East Washington Street area will be long gone. Perhaps this time they can settle in for the longer term, though? Let us wait and see.

© Phoenix Rising Football Club