Tom Gores, owner of the Detroit Pistons basketball team, has announced that the Tom Gores Family Foundation will commit $20 million to build a new community center in Rouge Park. 

Developed from discussions with Pistons players, coaches, and executives on how to expand and accelerate social justice impacts, the project will support development of a 25,000-square foot multi-use facility as well as the renovation of Brennan pool house and should be completed by the end of 2024. A team of executives from the club’s community relations, legal, and operations departments worked with the players over several months to identify several key areas of focus, including education, mentorship, vocational services, life skills, financial literacy, emotional intelligence for youth, and food insecurity.

City officials said the Cody-Rouge neighborhood lacks indoor recreation facilities and is the only district in the city without an indoor community center. The new facility will serve a population that includes more 24,000 residents within a 1.5-mile radius. 

“The facility itself will be the best of its kind and provide residents with a safe space to learn, play and grow,” said Gores. “But more than just a building, we will create a hub that brings together people from the neighborhood and throughout the city who want to make a difference in this community.” 

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