Phoenix Suns’ new Player 15 Group HQ gives staff upgraded working space
Apr 4, 2024, 6:13 PM | Updated: Apr 5, 2024, 8:05 am
PHOENIX — The Player 15 Group unveiled its headquarters on Thursday, a big-time upgrade of working space for Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Footprint Center staff members.
Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein took the media on a tour around the office, highlighting each area of the building that is going to result in a much better working environment for those employees.
Those employees previously used office spacing inside of Footprint Center that presented several challenges. It was a widespread area that was easy to get lost in and was anything but simple for those attempting to coordinate and work together on a face-to-face level. Now, the building is condensed to a much more viable space, with plenty of work stations and amenities as well.
Employees previously were working out of a suboptimal space at the arena. It was a maze with lots of separation and now everyone is together.
Lots of amenities. Cafeteria with breakfast and lunch, a gym, indoor/outdoor basketball court, pickleball, arcade games and more. pic.twitter.com/81vhCeWpiW
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) April 4, 2024
“Culture’s so important,” Suns and Mercury owner Mat Ishbia said. “Culture’s not just about amenities and great office space. It’s about how you treat people. … Where you work is how you feel and so seeing some of that cluttered up area in the arena is not the vision of how I think of offices and working together as a team collaboratively.”
The location just a few blocks away from the arena will allow employees to bounce back and forth if necessary without any trouble or other events going on. This was all impressively done in just five months.
And for fans of the teams that are not employees, the workspace inside of Footprint Center will now be repurposed into more for fans. Ideas are still getting tossed around, including a space for children or more food and drink options.
In addition, just a few feet out the door is where the Mercury’s new practice facility will be. That is expected to be finished in July.
It is another financial commitment forward by Ishbia and his group to separate the franchises from the rest of the pack, efforts that will help both on and off the court.
“You’ll see it in free agency,” Ishbia said of how the improvements over the last year-plus will help the franchises. “For the men, this summer. Some of our players will want to stay. When people stop making, ‘I’ve got to make it max, max, max the financial’ and look at it as an overall package, you’ll see that. You’ll see it in the WNBA too.”
