DETROIT \u2013 A legendary Detroit basketball landmark is getting a new purpose and a $20 million investment.<\/p>\n
St. Cecilia\u2019s Gym and school, long known as a basketball mecca, will be transformed into Say Detroit\u2019s second play center, doubling the number of children the nonprofit serves.<\/p>\n
A legendary Detroit basketball landmark is getting a new purpose and a $20 million investment. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
Organizers said the project will turn the historic building into a community asset once again, offering children and families a place for academics, enrichment and support.<\/p>\n
A faded sign reading \u201cSt. Cecilia\u2019s Gym, sports capital of Detroit\u201d still hangs over the entrance gym, a reminder of the building\u2019s storied past. Inside, the aging hoops hint at better days.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was one of those things where you dream about it,\u201d said Isaiah McKinnon, former Detroit police chief, who first played basketball at St. Cecilia\u2019s in his 20s. Now 83, he remembers the gym as a magnet for elite talent in the years following the 1967 rebellion.<\/p>\n
McKinnon said stars such as Magic Johnson and Dave Bing came to St. Cecilia\u2019s to sharpen their skills.<\/p>\n
He also mentioned he played on a summer league once with Bing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDave threw me a pass and I blew the shot, and Dave till this day says you\u2019ll never get another pass from me,\u201d McKinnon joked.<\/p>\n
A legendary Detroit basketball landmark is getting a new purpose and a $20 million investment. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
Now, the court where pros once played will serve a new generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hope to make it hopeful ground and helpful ground and a place of dreams,\u201d said Mitch Albom, founder of Say Detroit, which works to provide pathways to success for children and families.<\/p>\n
The new play center will focus on academics, community and culture, offering programs designed to support young people beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis building is not just about new things; it\u2019s about creating a new village that supports you in everything you do,\u201d said Karina, a participant in Say Detroit\u2019s programs.<\/p>\n
The effort is backed by a major donation from Detroit native and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing we care about the most is giving every kid in the U.S. the kind of opportunity that we have,\u201d Ballmer said.<\/p>\n
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield praised the redevelopment and the continuation of St. Cecilia\u2019s legacy, this time centered on education and youth development.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday we begin to write the next chapter of that legacy,\u201d Sheffield said.<\/p>\n
Albom mentioned they have raised half of the $20 million dollars. <\/p>\n
The renovation of the gym and the 25-room school is expected to be completed in 2028.<\/p>\n
A legendary Detroit basketball landmark is getting a new purpose and a $20 million investment. (Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n
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