Chargers usher in new era with Jim Harbaugh, sparkling new headquarters

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — It took a little longer than expected, but for Los Angeles Chargers chief of staff Fred Maas and the rest of the organization, the team's new headquarters was worth the wait.

After seven years of toiling in a temporary facility in Costa Mesa, the Chargers opened a 150,000 square foot space just minutes from LAX, the beach and SoFi Stadium.

Called "The Bolt," the state-of-the-art facility houses three practice fields, a lap pool, a locker room that can accommodate up to 104 players, an indoor/outdoor weight room, a 173-seat theater-style meeting room and new office facilities. 

The Chargers broke ground in May 2022 and opened two years later — on schedule and in time for the start of 2024 training camp.

After hiring new head coach Jim Harbaugh months earlier, the facility for the Chargers is another major step toward what the team hopes is the creation of a culture that leads to sustainable winning. 

"I think it's really an exclamation point on what's been an incredible journey for us, on how we moved to L.A. and what we accomplished here," said Maas, who oversaw construction of the project.

Maas said the team reviewed several different sites before landing on the 14 acres in El Segundo. He personally toured dozens of pro and college facilities, including The Star that houses the Dallas Cowboys in Frisco, Texas, along with the headquarters of the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings nearby in El Segundo.

"We always knew we were coming here," Maas said. "It was extremely important to the brand and who we are and the identity of the team. It's not easy finding the opportunity to build a complex like this." 

In the latest NFLPA survey, the Chargers received not-so-flattering reviews from their