Detroit on the break, taking it down the wing, cutting inside the defender, lining it up, he shoots, GOAAAL — DETROIT CITY FC SCORES!
The roar of soccer fans from across Detroit and the region will soon echo through Corktown and Southwest Detroit. The new Detroit City FC stadium, set to open in 2027, promises to bring people together, breathe life into a long-vacant site, and create fresh opportunities in the heart of our community.
As the Detroit City Council Member for District 6, I have a responsibility to ensure the new stadium delivers for the working people of Detroit – not just for the developers and outside investors. The stadium will be one of many local attractions that will bring people from various races, backgrounds, and ZIP codes together. However, this development must create lasting value in our neighborhoods, our families, and, importantly, for the workers in our community who will clean it, secure it, and keep it functioning for future generations.
The foundation of Detroit is rooted in the power of good union jobs, from the autoworkers to the janitors in commercial office buildings. A union job means fair pay, protection from discrimination, and strong benefits – but its impacts reach even further into the lives of our families and communities. Unions stabilize neighborhoods, empower families, and invigorates communities so everyone can thrive, not just survive.
Building a renowned sports venue like this soccer stadium requires us, as a community, and me, as a council member, to “keep our eye on the ball” and hold developers accountable to respect the community and its people.
Unfortunately, creating jobs that people can raise their families with is much more difficult for Detroit’s city government than other cities in America. Corporations and developers lobbied the state legislature to pass laws that take away Detroit’s freedom, and right, to require that developers create good-quality jobs – these restrictions are known as “abusive preemption” laws. Corporate actors want to maximize profits at any cost, and have lobbied Michigan’s legislature to create a legal environment that empowers themselves and disempowers voters and local elected officials. These laws keep the working people of Detroit and in metropolitan areas across Michigan trying to rebuild on “defense” instead of “offense” on shaping our economic policy. It’s time that Michigan’s legislature “level the playing field” and restore Detroit’s freedom to make these decisions for itself.
I grew up in a single-parent household. My mother and I were like many Detroiters: working poor. I worked multiple jobs in the service industry to put myself through both undergraduate and graduate school. Every day, I hear from residents who are struggling to make ends meet, who have to decide between paying their rent, refilling their medical prescription, or filling up their gas tank to get to work or take their kids to school. What’s further disheartening is knowing that there are ways to ease this financial burden placed on our working-class and low-income residents, but the state won’t allow us to act.
My colleagues and I have worked tirelessly to repeal abusive preemption and return the power to Detroit’s voters. We must also be transparent with developers and investors, making it clear that committing to good union jobs, fair wages, and a respect for workers’ rights is essential to having a successful stadium.
The impact of the new 15,000-seat AlumniFi Field will be felt throughout the City of Detroit. We now know that Detroit City FC is seeking $88 million dollars in tax breaks. We need to have a say in how our money is spent. Detroit has already invested heavily in private development, with public subsidies for District Detroit hovering around $1.8 billion. Yet too often, those billions failed to deliver the union jobs and lasting community benefits residents were promised. We must prioritize working people and ensure developers and investors don’t cut corners. A sports development like this can pave the way forward for community wealth, strengthening families, and supporting workers’ rights.
The opening of AlumniFi Field has been a long time coming, tracing back to 2010 when five friends founded the fútbol club. This milestone reflects the commitment of community members and working people who came together to build Detroit’s professional league. We must remember those humble beginnings to ensure the stadium delivers real benefits to the working families of Detroit.
I stand for the working people of Detroit, which means ensuring that developments in my district are measured not just by profits, but by how much they elevate workers across the city, regardless of race, background, or ZIP code.
AlumniFi Field will soon be a place where thousands will gather to cheer for Detroit City FC, but the real celebration begins when good union jobs elevate our communities so all can thrive. That kind of victory will impact Detroiters on and off the field.
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Gabriela Santiago-Romero
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