DETROIT – The list of large decrepit buildings that symbolize Detroit’s downfall in the late 1900s keeps getting shorter.
That shrinkage has been helped by the rehabilitation and revival of buildings like Michigan Central Station and the Book Tower or the demolition of buildings like the Packard Plant and Hanneman Elementary.
The Southwest Detroit Hospital, located on Michigan Avenue in Corktown, will soon be taken off that list, too. The property has been acquired by the Detroit City Football Club, which plans to build a permanent home for soccer in the city on the property.
Read: Detroit City FC acquires abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital for new stadium project
The abandoned hospital stands out to anyone driving into Downtown Detroit from I-96 or north on I-75 due to its unique metal siding and circular windows. It would almost have a retrofuturistic aesthetic, not unlike something from “The Jetsons,” if it weren’t for the plywood covering many of the building’s windows.
What was the Southwest Detroit Hospital?
The Southwest Detroit Hospital opened in 1973 and collectively has spent roughly half that time abandoned.
For most of the 20th century, healthcare in the United States was heavily segregated. Black doctors were mostly employed by Black hospitals, which typically weren’t provided with the resources to provide adequate healthcare. As the Civil Rights movement pushed forward, several small Black-only hospitals decided to merge in an effort to overcome the barriers that prevented access to resources.
The Southwest Detroit Hospital came from the unification of Boulevard General, Delray General, Burton Mercy and Trumbull General hospitals. Construction -- which cost $21 million, roughly $175 million today -- was completed in 1973.
At the time, southwest Detroit was plagued by a shortage of medical facilities and the new hospital aimed to fix that. It provided urgent care, intensive care, medicine, various therapies and more.
What happened to it?
The hospital went well for a few years, but as 1980 approached, things became unstable. Staff members became involved in legal controversies, accused of unethical medical practices, and the hospital was the focus of several lawsuits.
One doctor was charged with selling medications illegally and was suspended from practicing medicine. A lawsuit in 1990 accused the hospital of discharging a woman who was unstable after suffering a stroke.
The hospital declared bankruptcy and closed in 1991, but that’s not the end of the story.
The building was purchased in 1996 for $1.5 million and was reopened as United Community Hospital in 1997. Despite millions of dollars in renovations, the hospital still struggled. The new owners were accused of unethical financial decisions and reportedly using corporate money for lavish vacations and other personal luxury purchases.
After millions of dollars of unpaid insurance claims, the Michigan Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation placed the company into rehabilitation in 2006.
The building has sat vacant ever since. Its interior was gutted several times over the last 18 years, leaving the hospital basically a metal shell.
For years, it was a popular spot for urban exploration before it was boarded up completely in 2023.
What’s next?
The shiny metallic hospital that has been abandoned for nearly 20 years has been acquired by the Detroit City Football Club, which plans to redevelop the area to build a new soccer-specific stadium.
Detroit City FC has played at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck since 2016. Following the move to Corktown, Detroit will be one of the very few cities that have MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL and United Soccer League teams playing in stadiums within the city boundaries.
It is expected to be open before the 2027 season.
Read: Detroit City Football Club’s new stadium will be loss for Hamtramck