The 15,000-seat stadium will return a long-vacant hospital site in southwest Detroit to productive use ahead of its planned 2028 opening.
Detroit City FC, Mayor Mary Sheffield and project partners broke ground July 15 on AlumniFi Field, the HOK-designed, 15,000-seat stadium rising on the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital.
The $150 million-plus venue will be the city’s first soccer-specific stadium and the state’s only privately owned major sports stadium. Jason Perryman, AIA, principal and senior project manager at HOK, spoke at the ceremony alongside Sheffield and other club, civic and project leaders.
The stadium anchors a $200 million development designed to enhance and connect southwest Detroit as a year-round sports and entertainment destination. The project also includes a 421-space parking garage and a 104-unit residential building with 76 affordable housing units.
“As a club built from the ground up by Detroiters, this moment reflects years of work, belief and investment from our supporters and partners,” said Sean Mann, co-founder and CEO of Detroit City FC. “Breaking ground on AlumniFi Field brings us one step closer to creating a forever home for our supporters and a development that reflects the pride, history and future of this city.”
The development will honor the legacy of Southwest Detroit Hospital, which opened in 1973 as the first hospital in Detroit to accredit African American doctors and nurses. Artistic installations, historical markers and storytelling elements will be incorporated throughout the site.
Barton Malow is leading construction. The stadium is expected to create 1,030 construction jobs and 142 permanent full-time positions. Demolition of the hospital property was completed earlier this year.
The groundbreaking follows the Detroit City Council’s unanimous approval of the project in November 2025 at the conclusion of the city’s Community Benefits Ordinance process. The agreement includes more than $2.27 million in community benefits, among them $1.2 million for neighborhood organizations, 3,000 free tickets for neighbors each year, a $17-an-hour minimum wage, local hiring priorities and a $200,000 revolving loan fund for small businesses.
Supporters have already placed deposits on nearly 6,000 seats ahead of the stadium’s planned 2028 opening.