Crain's Detroit: MBA grad opens Detroit Soccer District facility Saturday
A grassroots sports facility is set to open Saturday west of Detroit's Midtown. Construction started last month at a former junkyard to create Detroit Soccer District, a venue with a 6,000-square-foot outdoor field and 3,000 square feet of indoor space for handball, volleyball and basketball. Joseph de Verteuil, a nearly lifelong Detroit resident who was born in Brazil and earned his MBA at Wayne State's Mike Ilitch School of Business, founded Detroit Soccer District and has spent $50,000 renovating the property. "I love to play soccer," the 26-year-old said. "I didn't want to wait for someone else to start something, so I took it upon myself to start it myself." Shuttling out to the suburbs to play soccer while he was growing up was expensive for Verteuil's parents. He wanted to create something affordable, so he based his concept on compact sports facilities in Brazil that still get big crowds for tournaments and practice time. The venue expects to offer a look at its outdoor facilities during its soft opening Saturday, ahead of scheduled programming starting Monday. The indoor section is to open in the fall.
Full story in Crain's Detroit Business
