Atlanta’s rise as a national soccer hub is gaining speed — fueled by growing global attention as the city prepares to host matches during the upcoming World Cup and reinforced by the recent groundbreaking of a new National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) training facility in Marietta.
The 33-acre, purpose-built campus will become the home base for Atlanta’s newest team, set to debut in 2028. Designed as a world-class training environment, the facility will include a headquarters building, multiple full-size fields and the infrastructure needed to support daily operations and long-term growth.
But long before the first field is installed or the first structure begins to rise, the success of a facility like this is shaped by the work happening below the surface. Projects of this scale demand the same level of coordination and technical rigor as major infrastructure programs — where durability, site performance and continuous use all matter from day one.
That is where Atlas brings depth and experience. With decades of work supporting sports and recreation infrastructure across Atlanta and nationwide, Atlas delivers civil site engineering, geotechnical and environmental services for complex athletic facilities and campus environments. From professional stadiums and training campuses to collegiate and community sports complexes, Atlas helps bring fields, buildings and supporting site systems together in ways designed to perform reliably over time.
On the new NWSL training facility, Atlas is supporting the design team with an integrated scope that includes civil site engineering, geotechnical evaluation and environmental permitting — helping guide the project from early site characterization through design, permitting and into construction. From the outset, subsurface conditions, grading strategies and environmental considerations have played a central role in shaping the site and influencing how fields, structures and infrastructure systems work together.
The facility is also being designed to function as a cohesive system under continuous use. Multiple fields, support facilities and circulation infrastructure must work together across the campus — balancing drainage, resilience and operational efficiency in a setting expected to perform every day. That kind of long-term performance depends on early coordination across disciplines.
“When site development, geotechnical and environmental considerations are brought together early, the team can evaluate how each decision impacts overall site performance,” said Andrew Pankopp, Atlas National Practice Team Manager – Civil Site Engineering. “It allows you to align grading, drainage and constructability with permitting and long-term use from the start — reducing rework, improving efficiency and supporting a site that performs reliably over time.”
Beyond the facility itself, the project reflects a broader investment in the City of Marietta’s Franklin Gateway Corridor, where infrastructure supports not only professional sports, but also long-term growth and opportunity for the surrounding community. New community parking and corridor improvements will create additional ways for people to connect and engage with the adjacent community soccer facilities.
As purpose-built training environments continue to grow — particularly in women’s professional sports — this kind of investment reflects a broader shift toward infrastructure that supports athletes, operations and meaningful community connection.
“The NWSL training facility represents more than a new training campus,” said Tom Price, Atlas Infrastructure Business President. “It’s helping shape the future of sport — where strong training environments and community investment work together to support athletes and create a lasting impact, enabling communities to grow, connect and thrive.”