The City of Toronto is partnering with Toronto Tempo, Canada’s first Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) team, to transform an underused parking lot into a training facility that will be the first in North America to feature dedicated community access and programming.

The year-round public recreation hub will rise at 701 Fleet St., directly outside the Princes’ Gates at Exhibition Place and located near the team’s home court at Coca-Cola Coliseum.

In exchange for a proposed long-term lease on city-owned land, which was identified by CreateTO, the Toronto Tempo will deliver a practice facility complete with two full-sized indoor basketball courts and changerooms and outdoor recreation amenities, including two outdoor courts and a mini-pitch, new park space, and public washrooms. The organization will also assume responsibility for maintenance.

The public will have at least 2,200 hours of annual access for community programming, including use of the gym, training spaces and multi-purpose rooms, drop-in and registered programs, permit allotments and seasonal CampTO offerings.

Architecture firm HOK and landscape designer NAK Design Strategies will revitalize the site to enhance connectivity between Fort York, The Bentway and the waterfront.

If the proposal is accepted, construction will begin this fall, with completion anticipated in 2028.

As the newest franchise in the WNBA and the league’s first team outside the United States, the Tempo position Toronto as a global hub for women’s professional sports.

“This performance centre is about building the foundation for sustained excellence,” says General Manager Monica Wright. “Our players deserve a world-class environment that supports every aspect of their development, and our community deserves access to spaces that inspire the next generation. This facility will be both.”