PHOENIX — The owner of the former Fiesta Mall site launched a campaign Monday to bring a professional women’s soccer team and domed stadium to the Mesa property.
In an early step forward, Sunny Day Sports debuted its “Founding Fans” grassroots initiative, which aims to gather fans to support bringing women’s soccer to an area now known as the Palo District.
Vicki Mayo, chairwoman, co-founder and principal owner of Sunny Day Sports, is leading the group that purchased the 80-acre parcel of land that would house the stadium along with a recently announced $100 million women’s health campus.
Mayo told Arizona Sports that the initiative gives fans a place to show their support while giving Sunny Day Sports a way of providing updates.
“What we’re doing here with building out the Founding Fans is giving folks that really have a passion for soccer (a way) to receive exclusive updates, priority access in the future to things like tickets and merchandise, and really help shape the future of women’s professional soccer in Arizona,” she said.
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As part of the launch, the group is looking for “10,000 signatures in 10 days,” according to Mayo.
Further announcements pertaining to partners and facilities are expected in the coming months, the group said.
The Palo District is located on the old Fiesta Mall site near Southern Avenue and Alma School Road. The mall sat mostly vacant since 2019 and demolition began in 2023.
Women’s soccer stadium at Fiesta Mall site in Mesa would be part of theme park district
The land was rezoned as a theme park district in November. The designation allows the district’s board of directors to issue bonds that will be paid off via revenue generated from the project. The district will also be able to levy a sales tax on business activity to help fund the project.
In December, Sunny Day Sports announced plans for the women’s health campus but until Monday remained mum on speculation that was a step toward chasing after a professional sports team.
“This new district will be home to a professional soccer stadium as well as a variety of spaces for community use,” Mayo said.
When asked if the hope was luring an NWSL team, MLS team or another professional women’s soccer team, such as a USL Super League team, Mayo said, “The stadium was developed to be able to support the highest levels of professional soccer.”
Mayo also said she was not at liberty to share how far along the group was in stadium development plans but said “we have a lot of the skill set in-house” when asked about project planning.
Officials expect construction of the women’s health campus project to begin by the second quarter of 2026.
“It will, of course, take a couple of years to get the buildings up and operating, but you’re going to see a number of things happen all at one time here,” said Sharon Harper, the chair and CEO of Peoria-based Plaza Companies, in December.
Plaza Companies is developing the Palo District.
How would Mesa fit in with the NWSL?
The NWSL currently has 16 teams, including Boston and Denver, which are joining as expansion franchises this season. All of the clubs are located within the United States.
The league recently announced it is adding a 17th team in Atlanta in 2028.
NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman also told reporters during a media call in November that it was the league’s “intention to admit team 18, and we are targeting a 2028 launch.”
According to The Athletic, the Atlanta team paid a record $165 million expansion fee, significantly higher than the expansion fees paid by the two other most recent expansion teams in Denver ($110 million) and Boston ($53 million).
Mesa, the third-most populous city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson, is the 37th-most populous city in the U.S., with slightly more than 500,000 residents.
But it is also not uncommon for NWSL teams to be based in the outskirts of larger cities.
Gotham FC is located in Harrison, New Jersey, about 8 miles from New York City; the Chicago Red Stars play in Evanston, Illinois, about 12 miles from the center of downtown Chicago; and the Utah Royals play in Sandy, approximately 13 miles south of Salt Lake City.
In the NWSL’s current format, the season runs from March through November, spanning Arizona’s hottest months.
Mayo said one of the primary concerns when developing and designing the enclosed stadium was the heat.
“Well, I think regardless of season, something that has always been paramount to us as we were thinking about this stadium was to ensure that there is an incredible fan experience, and as a woman myself, I wanted to make sure it was a very female-first fan experience,” Mayo said. “Thinking about those small details that maybe aren’t necessarily thought of when a stadium is developed and designed by someone who’s not a woman.”
Women’s health campus is also a major part of the development
The $100 million women’s health campus is also a focal point of Mayo’s plan for the site.
It will house Arizona’s first medical facility dedicated exclusively to women’s health, research and performance.
“We’re really excited about what we’re bringing to the table, and that is really it’s more than just about soccer,” Mayo said. “This Palo District is about creating a space where families can gather, young athletes can find inspiration and the community really sees itself reflected on and off the field. It’s really about building a lasting legacy for Arizona.”
The health center will include areas for:
Aging and longevity health services Perimenopause, menopause and hormone replacement therapy services Behavioral health and integrative care services Diagnostic, outpatient and other specialty care servicesAdditionally, the sports center will include areas for performance training, sports medicine, recovery treatments and multidisciplinary programs tailored to women’s athletics.
As a whole, plans for the Palo District call for a mixture of restaurants and retail, lodging, office and medical office space, multifamily residential, entertainment venues and sports facilities.
Mayo said Sunny Day Sports will remain the lead for the entire district and her group will be developing out a number of the projects, but added “a number of different developers have come to the table that are developing portions of it.”
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