PALM BEACH, Fla. - After considering plans to build a new practice facility in recent years, the Detroit Lions are staying in Allen Park.
Lions president Rod Wood said Tuesday the Lions "have no plans to move right now" and are in the process of renovating their current training center.
"We're investing a ton in the building," Wood said at the NFL's annual spring meeting at The Breakers hotel. "We've looked at alternatives. There really isn't a great location that is superior to where we are.
"We're convenient to downtown. We're convenient to the airport. We're near all the highways. People have decided where to live based upon where the facility is, so it'd be very disruptive I think to move and it would have to be something that's substantially better than what we have."
The Lions built their current 225,000-square foot practice facility in 2003 and have modernized the building in recent years, installing new turf on their indoor field and refurbishing their locker room and dining facilities.
Currently, Wood said the team is expanding the weight room and purchasing "all new weight equipment" and refurbishing the locker room.
The changes were made in response to a survey the team did with players and a report card the NFL Players Association puts out annually grading team working conditions. The Lions ranked ninth among 32 teams in this year's NFLPA survey, but received a C-plus grade for their locker room.
Wood acknowledged the Lions may never have enough space to add a third full outdoor practice field in the current footprint, but said the benefits they'd derive from that including increased training camp attendance "are minor compared to the benefits of the location.
"When people walk in, they don't believe it's 20-plus years old," Wood said. "It kind of feels new and that's probably going to be where we're going to be for the foreseeable feature."
Dave ...
