Detroit’s Economic Development Corp. is looking for creative proposals, due in May, for the development of the Tiger Stadium site in Corktown.
“This vision for the site represents the best combination of input from all the significant stakeholders — the city of Detroit, the Corktown community, and all those who have fond memories of the great baseball games played at Tiger Stadium,” said George W. Jackson Jr., president and CEO of Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the lead agency for redeveloping the site.
In its request for proposals, the Economic Growth Corp. said a portion of the development should include a new 10,000-square-foot headquarters for Detroit PAL, a nonprofit that offers athletic and leadership development programs for youth, along Cochrane, as well as a youth baseball field. It includes three zones for development, with proposals being solicited for two: one along Michigan Avenue and one along Trumbull Street. A third zone, along Kaline Drive, is not being offered at this time.
In the RFP, the Economic Development Corp. says it will favor proposals that achieve urban development objectives such as high density and street-front massing. Proposals also must demonstrate a well-understood relation to the surrounding community, and commemorate the location of the original major league baseball site.
“Every time a youngster runs a base on the youth field it will honor the legacy of the field itself, while every dollar invested in the surrounding development will enhance the viability of Corktown’s future,” Jackson said.
Formerly Briggs Stadium, the Detroit Tigers won four World Series at the ballpark — 1935, 1945, 1968, and 1984. The team moved to Comerica Park in 2000, after which Tiger Stadium was torn down.
For more information, or to download the RFP, click here.