A massive youth sports and family entertainment campus, pitched at roughly $3 billion, is being lined up for about 452 acres along the I‑94 corridor next to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus. The proposal, called Motown Sports Village, would blend tournament‑grade fields and courts with a mid‑size arena, a sprawling indoor water and surf park, hotels, and other visitor amenities aimed at snagging youth tournaments and weekend tourism. Backers say that if it all comes together, it would rank among the largest single private developments in the Detroit airport corridor in recent years.
Initial reporting by The Detroit News was followed by a formal developer announcement that JLL Capital Markets has been hired to arrange financing for the roughly $3 billion buildout. JLL says it will serve as the exclusive financial intermediary, assembling senior debt, mezzanine financing, and preferred equity while marketing the full capital stack to institutional investors.
What the master plan would include
Developer materials describe a 1,150,000‑square‑foot youth sports complex on about 452 acres that would pack in multiple basketball and volleyball courts, convertible hockey rinks, and a half‑mile indoor running track. A 9,000–11,000‑seat arena is slated to host tournaments and shows. Promotional materials and an investor deck also show outdoor football and soccer fields, a 450,000‑square‑foot indoor water and surf park, a 96‑tee golf center, and three hotels totaling about 2,000 rooms. Those details are laid out by Motown Sports Group Holdings and in an investor deck published by the developers.
Financing and timeline
According to the public announcement, the first capital phase will focus on raising $40 million to $50 million in predevelopment and land financing to prepare the site while JLL works on the larger capital stack. “Engaging JLL as our exclusive capital advisor is a pivotal milestone for Motown Sports Village,” Motown chairman and CEO Kenneth W. Bardwell said in the release. JLL’s statement notes that construction is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2027, with phased openings starting in 2029.
Local reaction and planning questions
Romulus officials have pointed to the site’s direct access to the airport and the potential for jobs, although airport‑area development in recent years has come with high‑stakes land‑use battles. Michigan Public documented a March federal lawsuit by the state and the city of Romulus over a planned ICE detention facility near DTW, a reminder that big projects in this corridor tend to draw intense scrutiny. The area has also seen other large proposals, from EV‑charger farms to logistics sites, that will shape how planners evaluate traffic, utilities, and environmental impacts for a development of this scale, as local coverage has noted.
Next steps include local planning reviews, infrastructure studies, and the capital markets work that JLL has already begun, and both developers and officials say that approvals and financing will not be quick. Motown’s materials say the campus would be positioned to reach millions of residents within a multi‑county radius and to generate significant construction and permanent jobs, while trade coverage has outlined an initial capital‑raise plan for potential investors. Public meetings and environmental reviews are expected as the proposal moves through Romulus and Wayne County permitting channels.
