Detroit City FC has broken ground on AlumniFi Field, the club’s first purpose-built home. Hundreds of fans and city officials, including Mayor Mary Sheffield, gathered on July 15, 2026, at Michigan Avenue and 20th Street for the ceremony. The 15,000-seat stadium anchors a $198 million development in southwest Detroit, and it is set to open in spring 2028. For a community-owned club that has spent years in a leased stadium, it is a landmark day.
Here is what the club is building, and what it means for the neighborhood. For more of the city’s game-day scene, see our Sports coverage.
At a Glance
| The news | Detroit City FC broke ground on AlumniFi Field on July 15, 2026 |
| Where | Michigan Avenue and 20th Street, southwest Detroit, on the former Southwest Detroit Hospital site |
| Capacity | 15,000 seats |
| Cost | About $153 million for the stadium, within a $198 million development |
| Opens | Spring 2028, for the 2028 USL Championship season |
| Also included | A 421-space parking structure and a 76-unit apartment building |
| Team behind it | Barton Malow (contractor); HOK with ROSSETTI (design) |
What Detroit City FC Is Building
AlumniFi Field is designed as a true soccer ground, not a multipurpose bowl. The plans call for 15,000 seats, a natural grass pitch, and three permanent grandstands under canopies. According to the club, the design draws on the feel of a classic European football stadium, where the stands sit close to the field. The building also includes about 170,000 square feet of interior space, and it can host concerts and community events between matches.
Barton Malow, the Southfield firm that built Little Caesars Arena, is the general contractor. The design comes from HOK working with Detroit-based ROSSETTI. In other words, the same caliber of firms behind Detroit’s big-league venues is now building a home for its soccer club.
Where AlumniFi Field Is Going
The stadium is rising at Michigan Avenue and 20th Street, between Corktown and Mexicantown. The site once held Southwest Detroit Hospital, which sat vacant for years. Demolition and site work began in 2025, and the July 15 ceremony marked the official groundbreaking for the stadium itself.
The location matters. Rather than build on the edge of the city, the club is filling in a long-empty parcel in the heart of a dense, historic neighborhood.
A Home for a Community-Owned Club
Detroit City FC is not a typical franchise. The club counts roughly 2,700 fan-shareholders, a group that acquired about 10 percent of the team in 2020. For years, the club has played its home matches at a leased stadium in Hamtramck, filling the stands on a shoestring and building one of the most passionate followings in American soccer.
AlumniFi Field changes that. Instead of renting, the club will own its stage, and the naming rights belong to AlumniFi Credit Union, which signed on in 2025. For supporters who helped fund the club’s rise, a permanent home is the payoff.
Why It Matters
A new stadium is a sports story, but it is also a neighborhood story. The project turns a vacant hospital site into a year-round destination, and it comes with a $2 million community benefits agreement for the surrounding area. City backers project the broader development will generate about $25 million in annual economic impact once it is complete. For southwest Detroit, that is a lot riding on a soccer club that started at the bottom of the American pyramid. Follow RAW’s sports coverage for updates as AlumniFi Field takes shape.
AlumniFi Field FAQ
What is AlumniFi Field?
AlumniFi Field is the new home of Detroit City FC, a 15,000-seat soccer-specific stadium under construction in southwest Detroit. It is named for AlumniFi Credit Union, which holds the naming rights.
When will AlumniFi Field open?
It is expected to open in spring 2028, in time for Detroit City FC to play the 2028 USL Championship season there. The club broke ground on July 15, 2026.
How many seats will AlumniFi Field have?
The stadium is designed to hold 15,000 fans, with a natural grass pitch and three permanent grandstands under canopies.
Where is the new Detroit City FC stadium?
It is rising at Michigan Avenue and 20th Street in southwest Detroit, on the former Southwest Detroit Hospital site, between Corktown and Mexicantown.
How much does AlumniFi Field cost?
The stadium costs about $153 million. It anchors a larger $198 million development that also includes a 421-space parking structure and a 76-unit apartment building.
Published July 15, 2026. Details come from Detroit City FC, Crain’s Detroit Business, and The Detroit News, and are subject to change during construction.