Detroit City Council approves WNBA practice center, DCFC stadium tax breaks

November 26, 2025

Detroit City Council unanimously approved tax incentives and plans for two major sports facilities during its final 2024 session: a $198 million soccer stadium for Detroit City FC in Corktown and a $50 million WNBA practice facility on the city's east riverfront. The soccer stadium project includes a comprehensive community benefits agreement requiring $1. 2 million in community investments, union neutrality, and other commitments, while the WNBA facility avoided such requirements by qualifying as a smaller Tier 2 project.

Who is affected

Detroit City FC and its ownership/developers
Detroit's incoming WNBA team and Pistons Sports and Entertainment
Corktown residents and neighborhoods near the stadium site
Detroit east riverfront communities near the former Uniroyal site
Arena workers at Ford Field, Comerica Park, and Little Caesars Arena (represented by the industry standards board)
Detroit youth participating in soccer and sports programs
Community organizations receiving investments from the benefits agreement
Detroit taxpayers funding the tax breaks
Detroit People's Platform activists
Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD)

What action is being taken

Detroit City Council is approving tax breaks for both projects ($88 million for DCFC and $38.9 million for WNBA facility)
The former Southwest Hospital building is being demolished for the DCFC stadium
DCFC is committing to invest $1.2 million over 12 years in community organizations
Environmental contamination at the former Uniroyal site is being cleaned up
Developers are partnering with the city's workforce agencies for the WNBA project

Why it matters

This matters because it highlights fundamental tensions in Detroit's approach to development and community investment. The nearly $300 million in projects will shape the city's sports landscape and riverfront for generations, but the vastly different community benefit requirements expose potential loopholes in the city's ordinance that developers can exploit by structuring projects to avoid higher thresholds. The debate reflects broader questions about whether Detroit residents adequately benefit from taxpayer-subsidized developments, especially given that 85% of arena workers cite wages as their top concern and one-third live in poverty. How the city balances economic development with community needs and worker protections could set precedents for future large-scale projects.

What's next

Final authorization of both DCFC and WNBA brownfield plans is contingent on approval from the Michigan Strategic Fund
DCFC is seeking a third tax exemption valued at $12 million
The WNBA practice facility and headquarters are planned for completion by 2029
A youth development academy with outdoor athletic fields is planned for a second phase of the WNBA project (details yet to be determined)
Mayor-elect Mary Sheffield's agenda includes working with state lawmakers to create an arena tax and repeal preemption laws that prevent local labor regulations
CDAD and activists are calling for reforms to the community benefits ordinance

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com