For now, it is just desert, 217 acres of what’s to come.

But Thursday, as the Cardinals officially broke ground on what will be their new performance center and business offices with the McDowell Mountains looming in a picturesque background, it was about the vision of what the space will be.

“It is a multi-generational decision that we discerned,” owner Michael Bidwill said. “I wanted to make sure it was player-first, performance-first and we leveraged the Cardinals headquarters to have the most greater good for the state of Arizona and the city of Phoenix as possible.”

For a decade, the organization had been looking for the right spot for their new home, having been housed in Tempe since 1990. Different places had been considered, but as the infrastructure developed, Bidwill saw the opportunity.

Located in north Phoenix, west of Scottsdale Road and just north of the Loop 101 freeway, the area was purchased by the Cardinals at a state land auction for $136 million. Of the 217 acres, 30 acres will contain both the team’s football facilities and its business offices, more than doubling the footprint of the 14 acres of Tempe’s Dignity Health Training Center.

The football team is scheduled to move in following training camp in 2028, with the offices opening earlier that year.

The remaining acreage will be mixed-use, with housing, various company headquarters and an entertainment district among the development over the next several years. Bidwill said the design will allow the whole area to be walkable, even in the heat of the summer.

Arizona Commerce Authority president and CEO Sandra Watson called it “a generational commitment to Arizona’s future.”

“This is so much bigger than football,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego said, “but it will be anchored by football.”

Gallego and Watson were among the speakers on Thursday. They were joined by new Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur, tight end Trey McBride and safety Budda Baker. General manager Monti Ossenfort, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Elijah Higgins also attended.

“Everyone loves being in Arizona as a whole, and to have a state-of-the-art facility like this will only do great things for the community, but also for the players,” Baker said. “Investing into our futures is definitely exciting.”

Said McBride, “They showed us a little bit of what it’s going to look like and it seems unreal.”

The football portion of the buildout will feature three grass practice fields as well as a fieldhouse with a full-size turf field. A new expanded locker room will house the players, and there will be “state-of-the-art” spaces for athletic training, strength and conditioning, and the medical staff.

“There is so much to work with,” architect Matt Rossetti said. “This will be an absolute architectural gem.”

The spot was important to the Cardinals not just because of the space. Its location just off the 101 gives the team and the brand a visibility Bidwill felt was important.

Work will begin in earnest in coming weeks, including a leveling of the area to aid the floodplain. It will be a while before the vision isn’t just in a rendering or in someone’s mind.

But Thursday was the first step to what will come.

“All you want out of an ownership group and an owner is a commitment,” LaFleur said, “and not only have you said there’s a commitment, you’re showing the commitment.”

Cardinals Reveal Plans for New HQ and Training Facility