Detroit City chic venue plans on hospital site

Article posted by Coliseum, May 23^rd, 2024

Image: USL

The United Soccer League (USL) Championship team Detroit City FC announced recently that the club had acquired the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital at the corner of Michigan Avenue and 20th Street for the purpose of building a new stadium that will serve as their permanent home for soccer in Detroit, Michigan, US.

‘USL’ stated that the club’s aim is to open a new soccer-specific stadium by the 2027 season.

Tampa (US)-based the United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of soccer leagues in the United States. It operates several men’s and women’s leagues, both professional and amateur.

The USL Championship is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States that began play in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation as a Division II league since 2017, placing it under Major League Soccer (MLS) in the hierarchy.

Chicago (US)-based the United States Soccer Federation, commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501 nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men’s professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport’s highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams – 26 in the United States and 3 in Canada – since the 2023 season. The MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.

The Detroit City FC is an American professional soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan (US) that competes in the USL Championship.

The Keyworth Stadium is a 7,933-seat multipurpose stadium located in Hamtramck, Michigan, an enclave of Detroit (US). It was opened by the former President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt on October 15^th, 1936, during his second campaign for President. Keyworth was the first Works Progress Administration project in the State of Michigan. It serves as the home ground of the Detroit City FC and the USL Championship team has played at the Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck since 2016.

The Southwest Detroit Hospital is an abandoned hospital located in the Mexican town neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan (US). It opened in 1973 as the first Detroit hospital to hire and accredit the African- American doctors and nurses, which was uncommon in the United States at that time. The original hospital existed only 17 years. In 1991, it closed and declared bankruptcy. The building has been abandoned for 18 years.

‘USL’ quoted the Detroit City FC head honcho Sean Mann as stating, “This is a huge step for our organization to build a modern venue to serve our club and the community. 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, the City residents and community leaders, among others, to craft a community-focused, grassroots professional soccer stadium that serves the City of Detroit.”

The Detroit City FC games are currently played at the Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck. Since 2016, the ‘Le Rouge’ has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the small businesses in the City as well as fostering and advocating improvements to the recreational spaces around the community.

Averred Alex Wright, Co-Owner and Chief Creative Officer of Detroit City FC, “A Detroit City FC home match is a can’t-miss stop for any true sports fan in the United States, 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. The City and the people of Hamtramck were there when we needed them. The investments by our club and the supporters give proof of our gratitude, and we are excited to set forth on the challenge to make our forever home just as iconic.”

The Detroit City FC will reveal more details around the stadium vision and programing after further consultation with the City officials, the local residents and the longtime fans. A public engagement process is anticipated to kick off later this year.

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