For nearly two decades, Southwest Detroit Hospital on 20th Street in Southwest Detroit has stood vacant—just another decaying building in the city. Last year, the Detroit City Football Club, a professional soccer team, purchased the 7-acre property for $6.5 million, with plans to raze the building and construct a 15,000-seat soccer stadium.
But owning such a massive property comes with challenges, notes Louis Aguilar of The Detroit News, who reports that the team’s ownership is now dealing with the death of a man who authorities believe fell down an elevator shaft in the building early Saturday morning.
He writes:
While the grounds last week had a fence around them, the former hospital had open doorways and sizable holes in the walls that would allow someone to enter. The club hasn't had any issues with trespassers since purchasing the property, Detroit City FC spokeswoman Colleen Robar said Monday. The club has added security to the site since the weekend tragedy, Robar said.
Aguilar also reports that the club is also dealing with an environmental setback that has delayed its plans to demolish the hospital—about 1.9 million gallons of black, stagnant water that fills the lower levels of the building.
