DETROIT (WXYZ) — A new sports headquarters for Detroit's future WNBA team could be built on the site of the old Uniroyal tire factory along the city's riverfront, but significant cleanup work and funding will be needed to address decades of chemical contamination.
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The Detroit Pistons organization is proposing to transform the 42-acre vacant site on East Jefferson into a multi-million dollar sports facility that would include a women's basketball facility and youth fields. The property has sat empty for 40 years since the tire factory closed.
City officials and Pistons representatives held a public meeting on Wednesday to gather input from Detroit residents about the proposal through the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority.
"I always want East Jefferson to be revitalized and really activate the space because it feels like it hasn't been fully activated yet," said Ian John Solomon, a Detroit resident who lives near the former factory site.
Solomon said he understands the challenges involved with redeveloping the contaminated property.
"I love parks, so I was hoping it would become a nice, big wilder park on the riverfront, but I also understand there's a problem with the soil, with there being a previous factory there, so I understand needing someone to kind of foot those remediation costs," Solomon said.
Another Detroit resident, Leslie Zimmerman, expressed excitement about the potential development.
"I think it will bring a lot of things to the Detroit area, especially for young women who want to be in sports," Zimmerman said.
The site is classified as a brownfield, which is an abandoned or underused industrial or commercial property that may be complicated by the presence of contaminants.
Dan Gough, Brownfield Coordinator with the state's Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Department, said remediation is possible with the right approach.
"There's really no site that can't be redeveloped with the proper approach," Gough said.
Some portions of the former Uniroyal site have already been cleaned up by the groups responsible for causing the contamination, but work remains.
"There is a portion of that they weren't able to access remediation, so there is still some work to do," Gough said.
Brian Vosburg, senior director of the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Detroit, said the public hearing was important for gathering community input.
"We want to hear from the people who actually live nearby, I mean literally across the street… how does this project impact you, both the good parts and the bad parts," Vosburg said.
Before any construction can begin, the Pistons need approval from both the Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and Detroit City Council.
If all approvals are secured, construction could potentially begin on the site in 2027.
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