Detroit City FC has locked in a builder for its long-awaited AlumniFi Field, the club’s planned 15,000-seat stadium on the former Southwest Detroit Hospital site. The move is the clearest sign yet that the project is shifting from years of planning and cleanup to actual on-site construction, with the club still eyeing a 2027 debut.
As reported by Crain's Detroit Business, the club has finalized an agreement with a lead general contractor to oversee the build. The development team had already rolled out stadium renderings and announced naming rights for AlumniFi Field back in 2025, according to DBusiness.
What the plan includes
Per Detroit City FC and city planning materials, the campus is designed as more than just a stadium. Alongside the 15,000-seat venue, the project calls for a 421-space parking deck, a 76-unit affordable apartment building, and about 8,500 square feet of street-level retail space. Club and developer documents say that the mix is meant to tie the site into Corktown and neighboring Mexicantown rather than wall it off behind seas of surface parking.
Timeline and ground work
Demolition of the old Southwest Detroit Hospital kicked off in December 2025, and crews have been clearing the parcel to prep it for site work, according to ClickOnDetroit. Sports Business Journal has described the owners' timetable as "aggressive," with vertical construction targeted for early 2026 and the club hoping to have at least part of the venue open in time for the 2027 USL Championship season.
Community benefits and public money
The project leans in part on brownfield tax capture to cover demolition and infrastructure costs, estimated at about $74.2 million over 30 years. In return, the club agreed to more than $2.2 million in neighborhood commitments, per Detroit City FC and city filings. Those commitments include a $17 an hour minimum wage for stadium workers, priority hiring for nearby residents, and 3,000 free tickets a year set aside for neighborhood use.
Next steps
With a general contractor now signed on, the next stretch is the less glamorous but crucial part of a big build: permit work, lining up subcontractors, and getting crews mobilized before large-scale excavation and concrete pours begin, according to Crain's Detroit Business. In the meantime, the club is already taking season ticket deposits and posting construction updates at AlumniFiField.com.
