DETROIT – Demolition crews began tearing down the long-vacant Southwest Detroit Hospital on Friday, marking the first step toward construction of Detroit City Football Club’s new 15,000-seat stadium.
The new AlumniFi Field will be built at the corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street, just west of Michigan Central Station, doubling the capacity of the team’s current home.
“To replace an abandoned building with a center for sports and entertainment on this stretch of Michigan Avenue is a great step forward for the city of Detroit,” Mayor Mike Duggan said.
Mixed-Use Development
The mixed-use development project will include more than just a soccer stadium. Plans call for new housing units, commercial space and a 421-space parking garage. The project is expected to generate $25 million in annual economic impact for the area.
DCFC founder Sean Mann called the moment “surreal.”
“This will ultimately be the biggest billboard for soccer this region will ever have,” Mann said. “It’s just proof that this is real. It’s happening.”
Bridging Communities
The location was strategically chosen to bridge two historic Detroit neighborhoods.
“This is an amazing location both for proximity to freeways but really for us that it’s bridging Mexicantown and Corktown,” Mann said. “It’s piggybacking off all the positive development, whether big like Michigan Central or small like all the bars and restaurants opening in the area.”
Community leaders see the project as transformative for the area.
“I have my fond memories of the hospital growing up just a few blocks from here, but also the promise that this new development is going to bring,” said Ray Lozano, executive director of Mexicantown CDC.
Project Timeline
The project recently received approval following a successful Community Benefits process. DCFC is targeting a 2027 opening date.
AlumniFi Field will be Detroit City Football Club’s third home since its inaugural season in 2012. The team has spent the previous nine seasons playing at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck.