United Soccer League Championship club Detroit City FC has selected global design, architecture, engineering, and planning firm HOK to lead the design of its new 15,000-seat stadium at the southwest corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street in southwest Detroit.
The stadium is expected to open in the 2027 USL season, and could be ready for the home opener that spring.
The city’s first soccer-specific stadium will rise on the abandoned site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital.
St. Louis-based HOK’s design will create a “community hub” that bridges downtown Detroit between the historic Corktown and Southwest neighborhoods, including Mexicantown. Beyond match days, Detroit City FC’s owners envision the stadium supporting economic development in the neighborhoods and city.
“This partnership with HOK marks an exciting new chapter for our stadium project and DCFC,” says Sean Mann, CEO of DCFC. “This stadium represents more than a home for our club; it’s a testament to the passion and resilience of our supporters and the spirit of our city.
“As one of the first major projects led by a new generation of Detroiters, we take immense pride in creating a place where our community can gather and celebrate for years. We look forward to working with an industry leader like HOK to bring this vision to life.”
Chris DeVolder, a director at HOK, which designed Little Caesars Arena, says, “The stadium will be a vibrant example of urban placemaking. Our design will embrace the unique site and offer fans an exceptional, hospitality-driven game-day experience.”
Detroit City FC was founded in 2012 by a group of Detroiters. Since then, the team has developed into a minor league soccer success story with consistently sold-out games.
Today, DCFC fields a men’s first team that participates in the USL Championship — the second highest level in the U.S. men’s game; a women’s team that plays in the amateur USL W League; a youth academy; a statewide affiliation of youth clubs numbering over 3000 players; as well as an indoor soccer facility east of downtown Detroit.
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 Detroit City FC’s future stadium plans, visit here.
For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com.
