urbanSTL

Detroit City FC is planning on leaving its Keyworth Stadium home in Hamtramck to return to playing on a pitch in Detroit.
The popular soccer club that draws thousands of diehard fans confirmed Thursday that it plans a new stadium on the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital in Corktown. The long-vacant hospital property at Michigan Avenue and 20th Street was recently purchased for $6.5 million by an entity connected to former Urban Bean Co. coffee shop co-owner Edward Siegel. A news release from DCFC says the team owns the site. 
Specifics about the stadium were not revealed other than an anticipated opening in 2027, but a source briefed on the matter said it's expected to seat about 14,000 people. Both the men's team and women's team would use it. “This is a huge step for our organization to build a modern venue to serve our club and community," Sean Mann, CEO of Detroit City FC, said in a statement. "As longtime residents of the city, with a few of us even living within walking distance of the site, 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. We look forward to starting a process to connect with our supporters, city residents, and community leaders, among others, to craft a community-focused, grassroots professional soccer stadium that serves the city of Detroit."

Neither Mann or Alex Wright, co-owner and chief creative officer of DCFC, were made available for interviews. 
Specifics about the proposal are not known, including project costs or any other components of the plan. However, sources said the project is expected to go through the city’s Community Benefits Ordinance process. The process requires that development projects totaling $75 million or more receiving $1 million or more in property tax abatements or $1 million or more in city land engage with a Neighborhood Advisory Council to establish community benefits. Those can include things like jobs, local hiring, environmental protections, land use programs and local small business and resident inclusion.

The hospital is expected to be razed as part of the plan, sources said. There have been several attempts to raze the 250,000-square-foot hospital, which sits on about 5.67 acres, dating back more than a decade. A source familiar with the matter said the team is also looking at additional property that would bring the overall development site to about 10 acres. A team spokesperson said it had the land it needed for the stadium itself. In the end, it would host matches bringing thousands of dedicated DCFC supporters and others to the site. 
“A DCFC home match is a can’t-miss stop for any true sports fan in the U.S., but our players, staff, and supporters deserve a stadium with modern amenities that retains the best elements of Keyworth while also putting the club on firmer financial footing,” Wright said in a statement. “The city and the people of Hamtramck were there when we needed them. Investments by our club and supporters give proof of our gratitude, and we are excited to set forth on the challenge to make our forever home just as iconic.”
A release says "a public engagement process" is slated to start later this year. 
Ryan Cooley, who has a small ownership stake in the soccer team and who runs Detroit-based O'Connor Realty, said the stadium is the best outcome for the dilapidated hospital property.
"I really think location wise it’s fantastic because it’s kind of on the outskirts of the neighborhood and it really doesn’t bump up against any residential," Cooley said. "I would think with the location of it, everyone is going to be excited about it. The bar and restaurant owners I’m also assuming are going to be ecstatic about this."

The discussions are preliminary, with studies underway on the best future use for the riverfront property after GM moves to Gilbert's new Hudson's Detroit building in the city's core downtown. But according to several people familiar with the matter, early thinking leans toward tearing down most of the seven towers and leaving one or two standing to preserve part of the skyline. The tower or towers left standing of Detroit's most recognizable building complex would then be renovated for new uses beyond the offices and shops it offers now, two of the people told the Detroit Free Press.

whitherSTL wrote: ↑

Sep 08, 2024

Just spent the weekend here. I know they have 2X the metro population that we have but man, they seem to have their blank together. What can we learn from Detroit’s comeback besides not losing your NFL team?