John Niyo

The Detroit News

History has a future in Hamtramck. And 80-year-old Keyworth Stadium is ready for its facelift.

The owners of Detroit City FC, the rapidly-growing semipro soccer club founded in 2012, announced Wednesday they’ve met a fundraising threshold that will allow them to move forward with a major renovation plan for the historic Hamtramck venue where they’ll play their home games beginning this spring.

The club kicked off a community financing campaign last October, offering Michigan residents a chance to participate as investors. And Wednesday, the team announced that crowdsourcing effort had surpassed the $400,000 minimum needed to unlock those funds and proceed with construction.

“We still have a ways to go in our campaign but this milestone means a lot to Detroit City FC and our passionate supporters,” DCFC co-owner Sean Mann said. “This campaign is bigger than just this club. Keyworth represents not only the continued growth of DCFC, but an exciting new way to approach investment, historic preservation, community development, and sports business."

After outgrowing its original home at Cass Technical High School, Detroit City FC signed a 10-year lease deal last year with the Hamtramck School District, which owns Keyworth Stadium, a Depression-era landmark that has fallen into disrepair.

Then the DCFC owners kicked off their “Keyworth It” campaign, utilizing the state’s MILE (Michigan Invests Locally Exemption) Act, a law passed in 2013 that allows companies to accept loans from small investors (amounts from $250 to $10,000) provided they are Michigan residents.

Detroit City FC partnered with Sidewalk Ventures, LLC, MichiganFunders and Hamtramck Public Schools on the project. And more than 340 investors have signed on thus far, with the window still open for more – up to a maximum of $750,000, the estimated cost of this initial renovation plan – prior to a Feb. 15 deadline.

"It's phenomenal to be able to watch investors across the state of Michigan rally behind something like this," MichiganFunders founder Niles Heron said in a statement. "The beauty and power of these sorts of funding methods is that it allows communities to dictate what they want to see built. MichiganFunders is incredibly proud to be a part of what is one of the largest and most successful community-raises in Michigan history."

Detroit City FC has spent some of its own funds to begin minor construction work this winter. But the plan is for structural improvements to the grandstands, as well as repairs to the locker rooms, restrooms and lighting. Theclub averaged more than 3,500 fans last season, exceeding capacity at Cass Tech. But after Phase 1 renovations this spring, Keyworth will offer a 6,000-spectator capacity.

The club’s 2016 season kicks off in May, and among the highlights will be an international friendly with FC United of Manchester on May 28.

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