A $7.5 million redevelopment of a long vacant recreational center in northwest Detroit is planned to be complete in summer 2021 after its sale to nearby University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.

The sale of the Johnson Recreation Center from the city of Detroit to the all-boys Catholic school closed Thursday, according to a city news release.

Three soccer and lacrosse fields will be constructed near Joe Louis Park on 10.5 acres of land. The 20,500-square-foot rec center, abandoned since 2006 due to budget shortfalls, will be renovated with a new gym, locker rooms and community meeting space.

"Our students will have unrivaled athletic facilities in the city of Detroit," school president the Rev. Theodore Munz said in the release. "Our neighbors will once again enjoy using the Johnson Recreation Center that has been shuttered for the past 14 years, and that U of D Jesuit is revitalizing."

The school announced its intent to buy the property in April. The plan, pitched as a win-win for students and the community, faced some concerns from residents regarding inclusion in the project.

Under its deal with the city, the school will operate and maintain the property and building. The school also entered a community benefits agreement with the city that says it will open the center to community use at no cost. The center will host neighborhood association meetings, tutoring programs, summer youth camps and community service projects with staff and students from the high school.

The city closed 16 of its 27 rec centers between 2006 and 2013 and is working to find ways to reopen them. The deal with U of D Jesuit marks the third time since 2014 that the city has agreed to a public-private partnership to reopen a vacant rec center.

The Lipke rec center was redeveloped as the S.A.Y. Detroit Play Center in an effort supported by Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom, and the Tindal Recreation Center is now operated by Healthy Kidz Inc.