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Board hears update on Cooley athletic complex, Pistons partnership and CMA/Cody field timelines
Summary
District staff told the board a $15 million state grant will fund architectural work and demolition at the Cooley Athletic Complex site but that a roughly $10 million fundraising gap remains to build a stadium, locker rooms and other amenities.
Detroit Public Schools Community District staff updated the board on plans for the Cooley Athletic Complex and related field projects for Cody High School and Central Michigan Academy (CMA).
The superintendent said the district received a $15 million state grant that is currently funding architectural design and demolition work for the Cooley site; after design and demolition there likely will not be enough remaining in that grant to build a full stadium without additional funds. “There’s still a funding gap between that and putting up a football field, which would be primarily for Cody High School,” the superintendent said, noting the district would seek roughly $10 million more to complete a smaller-scope field, locker rooms and a weight room to serve Cody and neighborhood youth teams.
Board members pressed staff about timelines and equity across schools. Several members asked specifically about CMA, which does not yet have a home field or an on-campus gym; the superintendent said CMA’s field work was part of the district facilities master plan and that CMA’s field is on track to be built by 2027 under existing plans and funding. Board members requested clearer communication to the CMA community about timelines and promised work.
The superintendent also explained that the Detroit Pistons organization has separate plans to build a larger athletic complex on land not owned by DPSCD; the Pistons’ facility, if completed, would be led by the team with DPSCD named as a primary beneficiary and partner. That outside project reduced the immediate need for the district to raise the full $60 million original vision for Cooley, staff said.
Why it matters: the Cooley project is intended to provide an indoor facility and outdoor competition fields for students who currently travel outside the city for indoor practice space; Cody High School does not have its own football field and presently uses a city park. Board members emphasized sharing plans with affected school communities and requested staff review the district’s list of community asks and prioritize items that fit within the $15 million grant and the remaining fundraising gap.
Next steps: staff said they will provide clearer timelines for CMA and Cody field deliverables, share outreach results from community facility meetings, and identify which specific elements can be accomplished with remaining grant funds versus which would require the additional $10 million of fundraising.
