AlumniFi Field is the name of the new Detroit City Football Club stadium coming to the former site of the Southwest Hospital.
Hundreds of people, including fans, politicians and neighborhood food vendors came to Mexican Town Mercado Monday night for the unveiling of the naming rights sponsor and renderings of the new stadium. Officials say the stadium will open for the 2027 USL Championship season.
DCFC CEO Sean Mann emphasized during his remarks that the stadium is a massive investment for the city. The soccer stadium will seat up to 15,000 people and serve as a permanent home for soccer in Detroit. Construction on AlumniFi Field is scheduled to begin in late 2025.
“As longtime residents of the city, the leaders and founders of the club view this stadium not only as an opportunity for our organization and sport, but as a civic endeavor to give back to the city we love,” Mann said. “Through our partnership, AlumniFi has been working with us on a shared vision for a stronger, more connected Detroit, creating an environment where everyone from youth to adults can thrive.”
Mann received a huge applause when he announced the stadium would be the city’s only privately financed stadium.
It came off as a snub to the Ilitch’s Olympia Development, which convinced Detroit City Council to approve more than $300 million in public tax money to finance the construction of Little Caesars Arena. The $324-million public subsidy to build the arena came from taxes captured by the Detroit Downtown Development Authority.
A decade later, the Ilitch family once again sent Olympia Development in front of city council in 2023 to ask for more than $800 million in public tax dollars to build the University of Michigan’s Center for Innovation.
Council members approved both times, despite the Ilitch’s Little Caesars Pizza generating more than $5 billion in annual sales, according to Forbes.
Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero, who represents the area on city council, said the announcement is personal to her, as someone who grew up playing soccer at Patton Park and Fort Wayne.
“I eventually joined the neighborhood leagues playing with Mexicantown — I wholeheartedly love the game of soccer… This is going to be a huge investment for the city and I’m looking forward to it.”
Santiago-Romero mentioned the required community benefits process related to the stadium’s construction, which will begin Aug. 21.
The project impact area contains all of Census Tracts 5214, 5211, 5215, 9853, and part of 5228.
This area is bounded by Martin Luther King Blvd. to the north, the Lodge (M-10) Fwy, 6th Steet, Trumbull St., 8th St., and Rosa Parks Blvd. to the east, the Detroit River and W. Jefferson Ave. to the south, and W. Grand Blvd. to the west. The impact area includes all or parts of the following neighborhoods: Corktown, Hubbard Richard, Mexicantown, North Corktown, Chadsey Condon, Central Southwest and West Side Industrial.
In addition to being the club’s exclusive financial partner and front-of-kit sponsor, the multi-year agreement between DCFC and AlumniFi, a Michigan based credit union, includes the naming rights for the club’s new stadium.
AlumniFi Field will replace the site of the the five-story, 250 bed hospital that was located in Corktown on Michigan and 20th St. Detroit City Council in May approved reimbursing the club for the demolition of the hospital.
The credit union sponsor says it will provide fan experience, discounts for members and showed off a DCFC branded credit card available for members.
“Like Detroit City Football Club, we believe in the power of community,” said April Clobes, AlumniFi President and CEO. “This partnership is about more than a stadium — it’s a commitment toward a brighter, stronger Detroit. Through financial education, local initiatives, and community-driven programs, AlumniFi is here to support Detroit’s continued growth and success.”
Also shared at the event were two renderings showing views from the northwest corner and an aerial from the south, developed by HOK, a global design firm. HOK is responsible for Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and a number of hotels across the world.
Ticket deposits for the 2027 season will open Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025.
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