The Daily Dig
Detroit City FC has selected Barton Malow as construction manager for AlumniFi Field, the club's new privately funded home stadium rising between Detroit's Corktown and Mexicantown neighborhoods. The 15,000 seat venue is being built on the site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital, demolished earlier this year.
Designed to evoke the atmosphere of classic European football grounds, the stadium will feature a natural grass pitch and three permanent grandstands with canopies. It replaces Keyworth Stadium, a 7,000 seat facility the club has outgrown since its founding in 2012. The venue is also planned to host concerts, other sporting events, and community programming.
Barton Malow was selected for its integrated delivery model, pairing construction management with self-perform capabilities across civil, concrete, steel, and interior scopes. Site work is underway, with deep foundation work, structural steel installation, and interior buildout to follow in sequence.
The project carries history that extends well beyond football. Southwest Detroit Hospital opened in 1973 as a Black-owned institution that earned national recognition for hiring Black doctors and nurses at a time when that was rare. It closed in 2006 and sat vacant until demolition this year. Barton Malow and Detroit City FC will incorporate a permanent installation into the finished stadium honoring the hospital's legacy and its contributions to the Detroit community.
Snapshot:
Project: AlumniFi Field
Club/Owner: Detroit City FC
Construction Manager: Barton Malow
Location: Corktown/Mexicantown, Detroit, Michigan
Site: Former Southwest Detroit Hospital
Previous Home: Keyworth Stadium (7,000 seats)
Sector: Sports/Entertainment
New Capacity: 15,000 seats
Funding: Privately funded
Design: Three permanent grandstands with canopies, natural grass pitch
Current Status: Site work underway; hospital demolition complete
Community Element: Permanent installation honoring Southwest Detroit Hospital legacy
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Barton Malow's self-perform capability across civil, concrete, and steel eliminates coordination layers on the scopes that drive early schedule, meaning fewer handoff points before the structure is in the ground and steel is in the air. On a privately funded project where the owner controls the timeline and the pressure to deliver is real, that kind of front-end control carries significant weight.
The permanent historical installation is worth watching from a trade perspective. When a commemorative element is designed in from the start rather than bolted on after occupancy, it becomes a construction scope with real specifications, defined material standards, and coordination obligations. Finish and interior contractors should expect it to be treated accordingly.
The sequencing is clear and public. Foundation and steel are the near-term procurement windows for Detroit-area subs and suppliers. If you are not already in conversation with Barton Malow on this project, now is the time.
