City of Marietta and Atlanta United sign training facility lease to complete agreement

Signed. Sealed. And now Atlanta United must deliver their training facility and team HQ to the city of Marietta. The final hurdle has been cleared as both the club and the City of Marietta signed a 20 year lease for the club's training facility. All that's left now is for shovels to meet dirt and for the brand new facility to be built.

City of Marietta and Atlanta United FC have signed on the dotted line. Proud home of soccer in Georgia! @ATLUTD pic.twitter.com/VIqXgKGvI2

— City of Marietta GA (@cityofmarietta) January 28, 2016

The Marietta Daily Journal report that the lease agreement states that Atlanta United will pay $1 per year for the first 10 years of the 20 year lease, followed by $320,000 per year for the final 10 years. The plan is for six lighted soccer fields and the team's headquarters to be built on the designated land in the Franklin Road corridor.

Atlanta United's academy will begin to take shape in 2016 and begin play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in August. The completion of the training facility, which will house all levels of the club's Academy, is expected to be completed around the time the senior team begins their MLS season in March of 2017. As we've learned with constuction dates, that projection is subject to change at any time.

The most important news is that everything is finally complete. The long journey is over and construction on the club's training facility and HQ is about to begin.