Detroit City FC Stadium and Housing Projects Receive Unanimous Detroit City Council Approval

On Tuesday, November 25, Detroit City Council gave Detroit City Football Club the necessary approvals to move forward with development of AlumniFi Field, the new 15,000-seat home of Detroit soccer, a 421-space parking deck and 76-unit apartment building of affordable housing at the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital in Southwest Detroit.

Detroit City FC agreed to over $2 million in financial contributions and other commitments over the next 12 years as part of the recently completed Neighborhood Advisory Council’s Community Benefits Agreement.

The incentives approved by the City Council and a state board will provide development incentives, the bulk of which would come from a $74.2 million brownfield tax capture over the next 30 years to help underwrite demolition of the Southwest Detroit Hospital site clean-up, as well as construction of a 421-car parking deck and a 76-unit apartment building of all affordable units. The privately owned stadium  will be the only professional sports stadium to contribute to the City’s tax base from the very beginning.

Highlights of the 12-year Community Benefits Agreement include:

• Contribute $100,000 per year ($1.2 million total) to organizations that specialize in safe, habitable homes, cultural programming, and youth education programs, chosen by the neighborhood council.
• $200,000 low-interest loan fund to support small businesses.
• Retail space dedicated to a small business incubator for Detroit entrepreneurs with pathways for Detroit vendors to be concessionaires in the venue.
• Give first priority to job applicants in surrounding zip codes. 
• Establish a $17-an-hour minimum wage for all stadium employees.
• Provide 3,000 complimentary tickets to residents each year.
• Create a mini-pitch soccer field for youth in the impact area and create a youth mentorship program for sports careers.
• $50,000 for cultural and artistic installations focused on the history of the area and Southwest Hospital.
• Provide 76 affordable housing units reserved for residents earning between 40-80% of the area median income.
• Create a traffic management plan that will be reviewed after 3 years, a plan to ensure safe entry and exit of fans, plus an acoustics study to mitigate noise impacts. 
• Provide an incentive for visitors and employees who use nonmotorized transit to access the stadium.
• Improvements and beautification of the 20th Street viaduct.

“The unanimous City Council approval is a major milestone as we move ahead to build a professional venue to serve our club and community,” said CEO Sean Mann of Detroit City FC. “As longtime residents of the city and impact area, the leaders and founders of the Club view this project not only as an opportunity to grow our organization and sport, but as a civic endeavor to give back to the city we love. The Community Benefits Ordinance process allowed us to connect with our supporters, city residents and community leaders to ensure that we address the needs of the surrounding neighbors.

“Thank you to the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, the Mayor’s administration, City Council and the members of the Neighborhood Advisory Council for their leadership and thoughtful engagement throughout the process,” Mann added.

Site preparations and abatement at the vacant Southwest Detroit Hospital site have already begun, with full hospital demolition happening in the next few weeks. The Club’s owners are working to have the new stadium ready for the 2027 United Soccer League season and ticket deposits are being taken now at alumnififield.com.