Purpose-built training home for Canada’s first WNBA team and community members will be constructed in partnership with the City of Toronto
April 17, 2026 [Toronto, ON] – The Toronto Tempo and the City of Toronto today announced plans to develop the team’s first dedicated performance centre at Exhibition Place. The purpose-built facility will serve as both a high-performance training home for the Tempo and a hub for grassroots engagement, representing a significant investment in elite athlete development and community access to sport.
Scheduled to open in 2027, the performance centre will be located in downtown Toronto, steps from Coca-Cola Coliseum, the team’s home arena. The facility will feature two WNBA regulation courts, state-of-the-art player amenities, and thoughtfully designed locker rooms equipped with every resource world-class athletes need to train, recover and prepare for championship-calibre play.
“This performance centre is about building the foundation for sustained excellence,” said Monica Wright Rogers, General Manager of the Tempo. “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.”
Globally recognized architecture firm HOK designed the Performance Centre with accessibility at its core. It will welcome everyone year-round, from professional athletes to local community members, providing access to premier courts, training areas, and amenities used by the team during the season.
“This project represents a powerful opportunity to create not only an exceptional environment for elite athlete development, but a lasting symbol of equity, civic pride, and cultural identity,” said Paul Harrison, design principal for HOK. “We rooted the project in five core principles: athlete-first design, inclusive access, civic engagement, sustainability, and future adaptability.”
The Performance Centre will include:
- Two WNBA regulation courts
- First-of-its-kind locker room featuring individual showers and changing areas for each player, salon and vanity spaces, a mother’s room, and elevated interiors that simultaneously prioritize individual privacy and team comradery.
- Dedicated sports medicine, sports performance, and recovery areas; including treatment and rehab areas, strength and conditioning space, hydrotherapy pools, a sauna, a wellness consult room, and advanced recovery areas. , and
- Expansive player lounges, fuel bars and a dining area to foster team connection, and nutritional health
- Dedicated spaces for team development, including a fully-equipped theatre for film study and conference rooms
- Collaborative Basketball Operations and Business office spaces, combining the team with the business in one state-of-the art facility
In collaboration with the City of Toronto and grassroots partners, the Tempo will also deliver development programming at the Performance Centre, designed to expand access to basketball and create new pathways for athletes at every level.
The Performance Centre underscores the Tempo’s long-term commitment to investing in infrastructure that advances women’s professional sport in Canada and strengthens the broader basketball ecosystem.
Through our Women in Sport initiative, we bring specialized insight into the lived experiences of female athletes, ensuring the facility supports performance while addressing equity, safety, and community representation,” said Melissa Clark, regional leader of Sport+Recreation+Entertainment with HOK. “Our approach embeds these values into every aspect of the new Performance Centre.”
Additional details regarding construction timelines and community programming will be announced in the coming months. Renderings can be viewed here.
Additional quotes:
“We’re partnering with the Toronto Tempo to turn an underused site into a world-class facility that serves both professional athletes and the public. With year-round access to recreation, new park space and inclusive programming, this project delivers real benefits for residents while strengthening Toronto’s leadership in women’s sport.”
— Mayor Olivia Chow
“This new facility is a game-changer for local residents and Toronto’s waterfront communities. By combining a world-class training centre with high-quality public recreation space to enjoy in all seasons, I am proud to ensure that everyone has better access to sports, programs alongside park and recreation amenities that make our city stronger and more connected. All while championing our Toronto Tempo, and strengthening Toronto as a hub for professional women’s sports.”
— Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik (Spadina-Fort York)
About Toronto Tempo
In May 2024, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) announced its expansion into Canada by awarding Toronto an expansion team, the league’s first outside the United States. The new team, owned by Kilmer Sports Ventures, will begin play in the 2026 season as the WNBA’s 14th franchise. Sephora Canada and CIBC are the team’s first announced founding partners. Larry Tanenbaum, Chairman of Kilmer Sports Ventures and a 30-year veteran of building championship-caliber teams, is also Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors and Chairman Emeritus of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, MLS’ Toronto FC and other professional sports franchises. Under his leadership, the Raptors won their first NBA championship in 2019.
– 30 –
For additional information, please contact:
Bri Bijman, Director, Communications
Toronto Tempo
bbijman@tempobasketball.com