Rams Unveil Stunning Plans for Redevelopment of Warner Center

Sean McVay had just turned 30 when the Rams named him the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. He was nearly 40 last year when he moved out of the “temporary” module he’d occupied since Day 1 in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

“I'm in the same temporary office that I've been for eight years here,” McVay said on ESPN’s NFL schedule release show last year, drawing laughter. “So, when I was hired in ‘17, they said this would be a temporary facility. We're going on Year 9 in this thing. So, we'll see if we make it over to Woodland Hills. I'm trapped like a prisoner in this thing, man.”

In August, the Rams indeed made it over to Woodland Hills, Calif. – into another temporary facility. But at least owner Stan Kroenke and the organization are taking tangible steps -- $10 billion worth of steps, actually -- toward a permanent Rams headquarters, and the Rams don’t have to leave the ground they currently occupy.

Now that the Rams are cultivating fans all over the world, the team’s new practice facility will serve as a  centerpiece for a stunning, must-visit destination in the San Fernando Valley.

According to Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, Kroenke is spearheading a stunning redevelopment of the 100-acre Warner Center property. The Rams now own the historic site, which got its name from Harry Warner, the oldest of the Warner Brothers, who originally used it as a horse ranch.

On Sunday morning in Farmer’s piece, the Rams gave Los Angeles city officials a preview of the proposal the team will present this spring. McVay can continue to say “F them rookie minicamps” using the same ground because the team will keep its existing twin practice fields, both outdoors. However, the organization will add an indoor option for the winter rainy season along with permanent offices.

High-end retail and residential development will rise above the practice facility, which sits approximately 30 miles northwest of SoFi Stadium. Restaurants, shops, apartments, offices and even a pair of smaller, intimate arenas will rise above and around the Rams, which will brand the area. Green spaces and parks will complement the structures.

Adding vitality, the entertainment venues will attract concerts and other events for audiences of 2,500 and 5,000.

“You start to think about, ‘Hey, how do we get more live entertainment so that the people in that part of the Valley don’t always have to drive 45 minutes to an hour to go to a concert?’” Kevin Demoff told Farmer. “This project provides that.”

Demoff, president of team and media operations for Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, said the Rams are partnering with world-renowned architectural firm Gensler on the ambitious project. But truly, the project pales in comparison to the Rams’ home stadium completed in Inglewood five years ago. SoFi, which will host its second Super Bowl after the 2026 season, was much more ambitious.

Shovels for the Warner Center project could hit the ground as early as two years from now, in 2027. Construction is expected to last approximately 10 years. And while he might be a card-carrying AARP member by the time he has a permanent office, at least he has windows in his new temporary home.