Massive $3B youth sports campus planned next to Detroit Metro Airport
Posted By: Detroit News on May 14, 2026. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
Developers are planning a massive, $3 billion youth sports and family entertainment campus next to Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus.
Dubbed the Motown Sports Village, the 452-acre campus would be home to an arena of up to 11,000 seats, plus a dozen basketball/volleyball courts and four hockey rinks that can be converted to soccer fields. It will also have family entertainment offerings like an arcade, a bowling alley, rock climbing and an IMAX theater, officials with the project said.
Developers hope to begin construction in 2027 with some aspects of the campus opening to the public in 2029.
The project is coordinated by Motown Sports Group Holdings with financing secured through JLL Capital Markets. The organizations announced the plans in an online statement.
Why Romulus?
Project leaders say the site, between Detroit and Ann Arbor on the highly traveled Interstate 94, is well-situated for the huge project.
“With its location adjacent to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and along the I-94 corridor, Romulus is uniquely positioned to host a project of this magnitude,” said Romulus Mayor Robert A. McCraight in a statement. “We are excited by Motown Sports Village’s potential to generate thousands of jobs and to establish Romulus as a premier sports and entertainment destination.”
Officials estimate that some 2.5 million people live within 25 miles of the site and 8.6 million live within 100 miles. The site is located north of the airport in an area roughly bound by Wick, Vining, Ecorse and Wayne roads.
They also point to the growing youth sports tourism market as proof the multi-billion-dollar effort will pay off.
“The sports tourism sector generated $47.1 billion in direct spending in 2024, with families spending $40 billion on youth sports alone,” JLL said its statement. “Youth sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing segments in sports and recreation, driven by increased interest in sports participation and the shift toward club and travel-oriented leagues.”
What is included in the project?
Developers said the campus will be home to myriad amenities, including:
- A 9,000- to 11,000-seat arena capable of hosting basketball, volleyball, tennis, gymnastics competitions, as well as concerts and other events
- Twelve basketball and volleyball courts with seating for up to 300
- Four 1,000-seat hockey rinks that can be converted to indoor soccer fields
- Half-mile indoor running track
- Arcade
- Bowling alley
- Rock climbing
- IMAX theater
- 450,000-square-foot indoor water park for surfing and swimming
- Outdoor football and soccer fields
- 96-tee golf center
- 71,700-square-foot tech center
- Two parking decks with more than 5,000 combined spaces
- Three hotels with a total of 2,000 rooms
‘Youth travel sports and entertainment destination’
In March 2024, the Romulus Planning Commission unanimously approved a conceptual site plan for the project.
“This project will transform the entire Detroit metro area into a youth travel sports and entertainment destination resort for families, boosting the economy of Romulus and the surrounding communities,” said Kenneth W. Bardwell, chair and CEO of Motown Sports Group Holdings, in a statement at the time.
JLL, a global commercial real estate services and investment management firm that has led other large-scale sports tourism projects across the country, said it is seeking an initial $40 million to $50 million for “predevelopment and land financing.”
“JLL’s platform, its track record in sports and entertainment-anchored mixed-use developments and the depth of its Capital Markets team provides the project the strength and market experience necessary to introduce Motown to institutional capital interests,” Bardwell said.
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