Detroit City FC Begins Demolition of Vacant Hospital for $198M Stadium Complex

Crews tore into the abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital on Friday, Dec. 19. They're clearing space for a 15,000-seat soccer stadium and other buildings. The $198 million project includes AlumniFi Field, 76 apartments, 16,000 square feet of shops and offices, and parking for 421 cars.

The empty hospital at 2401 20th St. off Michigan Avenue in Corktown has sat unused since 2007. An excavator smashed through an entrance to the 1970s building while Detroit City Football Club officials and fans watched.

"It's proof this is real, that this is happening," said Sean Mann, club co-founder, according to the Detroit Free Press. "For all the cars that drive by on I-96, I-75 every day, this will ultimately be the biggest billboard for soccer this region will ever have."

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan joined the soccer club when demolition started. He called it one of several big abandoned buildings his administration worked to tear down and rebuild.

"For decades, this vacant hospital has been the first thing people coming across the Ambassador Bridge into Detroit or up I-75 have seen as they enter this area of southwest Detroit," Duggan said, as per Heavy. "Now, thanks to the vision of Sean Mann and DCFC and the support of neighbors and City Council, this site soon will be home to a spectacular new sports and entertainment venue with retail and new housing."

Southwest Detroit Hospital opened in 1974 with stainless steel and porthole windows. It went bankrupt in 1991 and shut down. A private owner reopened it years later for health care businesses, but that didn't last.

Mann said the club plans to work through the holidays with HOK architects and builders to finish the design. They want to start construction in spring and complete it by the 2027 soccer season. Soccer season starts in March.

The club bought the building in March 2024 from Detroit landlord Dennis Kefallinos. Workers pumped out over 2 million gallons of water from the basement this summer.

Detroit City Football Club expects to receive up to $88 million in development incentives and tax breaks to build everything. City Council approved $74.2 million in brownfield tax capture over 30 years to help pay for demolition, environmental cleanup, and construction of the parking deck and housing.

The club committed $2.27 million in contributions and obligations over the next 12 years through a Community Benefits Agreement. This agreement puts jobs for nearby residents first, supports local small businesses, and funds improvements to the 20th Street viaduct.

Nearly 5,000 seat deposits have been secured for the inaugural season. The new stadium will more than double the 7,200-person capacity of Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, where the team plays now. Developers estimate the project will generate around $25 million in annual economic impact.