On Tuesday, Detroit City FC unveiled draft plans for its new 15,000-seat stadium at Michigan Avenue and 20thStreet in the city’s Corktown neighborhood. The stadium is scheduled to open as soon as spring 2027.
Earlier this month, the Detroit City Council approved funding for demolishing the vacant Southwest Detroit Hospital that dominates the site.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the Corktown Business Association at the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit, club co-founders Sean Mann and Todd Kropp said demolition of the abandoned hospital is expected to begin in July.
But first, approximately 1.5 million to 2 million gallons of water must be drained and filtered from the building’s basement. That work could start as early as next week.
Removing the vacant structure and preparing the area for construction of the stadium is expected to cost $6.5 million, which the city will reimburse the team over a period of 21 years.
The new stadium will sit on about 17 acres at 2401 20th St., which bridges Detroit’s Corktown and Mexicantown neighborhoods. The stadium will be on the west side of 20th Street, while on the east side a lively mix of bars, restaurants, and related commercial offerings is planned.
Mann says the timeline for tearing down the hospital and building the new stadium is “aggressive,” and indicates an early 2026 construction start. The project also includes a multilevel parking deck to go near the future stadium.
“The goal is to get this done by the spring of ’27,” Mann says.
Last year, the team announced plans to build a new stadium to replace its current home field at the 7,900-seat Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, which was built in 1936.
To read a DBusiness cover story on the Detroit City FC’s future stadium plans, visit here.
