Detroit WNBA Team Plans $50M Training Facility at Old Uniroyal Site

Plans for a $50 million sports complex at the old Uniroyal site caught attention this week. W-Detroit Property LLC wants $34.5 million in tax funds to transform the Detroit River spot into a 75,000-square-foot training hub.

The site will house team facilities and a youth sports center. Work starts next year, with doors set to open in 2027. The builders picked a spot where tire makers once worked.

City officials meet Wednesday to weigh the tax request. The package mixes $40.7 million in brownfield cash with a possible $9.1 million cut in property taxes spread across ten years.

Years of factory work left the 42-acre plot thick with chemicals. Scientists found dangerous compounds in the dirt, plus metals and what might be asbestos. Clean-up costs remain up in the air.

At the heart of the project sits a massive youth center. Kids will find indoor courts for games, while soccer fields stretch across the east grounds. A nonprofit will take charge of these spaces.

The Gores family stepped up as team owners in June 2025. Tom and Holly picked Little Caesars Arena to host games when play starts in 2029.

The site promises 71 steady jobs once it's running. During building, 291 workers will shape the new center. They'll need to finish the training space by 2027 to prep for opening day in 2029.

Detroit's basketball roots run deep. The Shock brought three titles home between 1998 and 2009, playing at Auburn Hills before moving to Tulsa.

After NFL star Jerome Bettis's plans fell flat in 2024, the city took control. Now they'll rent to W-Detroit Property LLC, marking a fresh start for the land.

The southwest edge will welcome the training center, while the youth space and offices take shape up north. It marks the first big build since the tire plant went quiet decades ago.