Detroit Neighborhood Demands Community Hub. The Tom Gores Family Foundation Responds with $20M Investment

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DETROIT – The Cody Rouge neighborhood, on the far west side, is located in District 7, the city’s only district without an indoor community center for youth and families.

For years, community members have repeatedly reached out to local government officials to ask for a space to gather, play and socialize. 

“In this area, we had nowhere for the children to go and play nor the adults to have fun and just sit around,” said Gladys Perkins, who has lived in the area for more than 40 years.

To answer the demand, the city of Detroit and Platinum Equity Founder and CEO Tom Gores recently began construction on the new Brennan Community Center at Rouge Park, which is funded by a $20 million commitment from the Tom Gores Family Foundation. 

The approximately 25,000-square-foot facility (located next to Brennan Pool) will serve as a hub for youth development, recreation, education and community engagement in the Cody Rouge neighborhood. Construction is expected to be completed next year. 

“This community deserves safe, welcoming spaces that inspire growth and possibility and remind people there are no limits to what they can achieve,” Gores said in a release.

“We’re creating a place where young people can discover new interests, build confidence, develop skills and find mentors to help them reach their full potential. I’m proud to help bring that to this neighborhood.” 

More than a hundred city officials, representatives of the Detroit Pistons organization and community residents gathered late last month to celebrate the occasion. Gores owns the Pistons.

“Today is much more than about turning dirt; it’s about hope, opportunity and what’s possible when people come together over shared purpose,” Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem said. 

The center will be nestled in Rouge Park, Detroit’s largest park spanning between 1,122- and 1,184-acres featuring forests, hiking trails and an 18-hole golf course.

The vision for the new facility was shaped in part by Pistons players, coaches and employees who participated in a series of discussions focused on expanding the organization’s social justice impact. The Pistons organization engaged with local community members for input on design and potential center programming.

Education, exercise, mentorship, life skills training and spaces for recreation are some of the key priorities that were identified.

“To be part of an organization that wants to give back and wants to give us a platform to be a big part of it is a blessing,” Pistons guard Cade Cunningham said. “This is going to be a place that we can always come back to, and wherever our careers take us, we can always come back to Detroit and feel like we’re part of something that really is huge for the community. This is a project that is great for me and all of us to be a part of.” 

Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield noted the center will fill a critical need for neighborhood-based recreation and youth programming on Detroit’s west side and is expected to serve thousands of residents annually and become a focal point for community activity. 

“When this facility opens it will be a place where thousands can come together, receive educational and financial literacy opportunities that can change the trajectory of the next generations, a place for families and a resource for our seniors; this is a great example of the incredible power of public and private partnerships,” Sheffield said. 

Gores plans to “leverage the full weight of (the Pistons) and its corporate and community partners” to maximize impact through programming. 

“I know Tom wants a safe place where kids can go to hang out, play, read, shoot basketball or whatever they want to do,” Pistons Senior Advisor of Basketball Operations Dwane Casey said. “You’d be surprised how many kids don’t have anywhere to go to after school until their parents get off work and that’s what I hope this becomes here.”  

The project builds on Gores’ longstanding commitment to making impact and investing in the city through community engagement. The Pistons completed a six-year, 60 basketball court refurbishment project across the city in 2024, and Gores helped fund renovations and ongoing programming at the SAY Detroit Play Center at Lipke Park on Detroit’s east side. 

“For the first time in a long time, our community is not talking about what is missing; our community is talking about what is possible,” District 7 resident Bobby Johnson said.

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