siness
PHOTO BY GLENN TR1EST
Developers Scott Kaufman and Brian Siegel
have joined forces with Detroit Pistons star
Joe Dumars to create what they envision as
the athletic complex of the future.
STEVE STEIN STAFF WRITER
Scott Kaufman
and Brian Siegel.
N
38
o mysterious voice told
them, "If you build it, they
will come," but two young
developers from Birming-
ham are convinced they are con-
structing their field of dreams.
Make that their fieldhouse of
dreams.
University of Michigan gradu-
ates Scott Kaufman, 28, and Bri-
an Siegel, 30, who first met about
a decade ago when they were on
the staff at Camp Sea-Gull, are
the developers and managing
partners of Joe Dumars' Field-
house, which is scheduled to open
next month.
Located on Mound just north
of M-59 in Shelby Township, the
fieldhouse includes a sprawling
70,000-square-foot indoor facili-
ty and 40,000-square-foot outdoor
area.
The $2.4 million public com-
plex is in an area of booming Ma-
comb County which is being
developed quickly. It already con-
tains many office buildings and
factories.
Kitty-corner to the complex is
a site which at one time was ru-
mored to be the home for the new
Tiger Stadium.
The building being renovated
to provide the inside portion of
the complex was constructed in
the 1970s and has housed an ice
rink and a flea market over the
years.
Mr. Kaufman, Mr. Siegel and
the Detroit Pistons' Mr. Dumars
are putting together a complex
which caters to three of the na-
tion's hottest participatory sports
— basketball, beach and hard-
court volleyball and roller hock-
ey.
While league play will be em-
phasized, basketball and volley-
ball courts always will be
available for pick-up games.
The complex will contain three
full-size indoor bas-
ketball courts and
another four indoor
four-on-four courts.
Outside, there will be
three full-sized light-
ed courts.
Volleyball facilities
will include an indoor
beach court which
contains 225 tons of
sand and is 18 inch-
es deep, two indoor
hardwood courts and
three outdoor lighted
beach courts.
The roller hockey
rink — complete
with dasher boards
— is the same size as
an ice hockey rink. It is the only
one ofits type in Michigan.
A 250-seat restaurant called
Eat at Joe's which overlooks most
of the indoor facilities, a sports
bar with 18 televisions, an out-
door deck-style restaurant adja-
cent to the outdoor courts, a
health club open to members and
walk-ins, an arcade area for
youngsters, banquet facilities and
a pro shop round out the complex.
J.M.L. Design. Group of War-
ren, headed by lead architect
Fred Campbell, designed the fa-
cility, and John M. Lafata Ltd. of
Warren is acting as general con-
tractor.
The roller hockey rink jumped
the gun on the rest of the com-
plex. It has been open for about
three months and the Detroit
Roller Hockey Association has
played games there.
When everything is going full
throttle in February, the entire
complex will be open from 6 a.m.
to 2 a.m. daily, and "either Scott
or I will be here at all times," Mr. .
Siegel promised.
It's expected that approxi-
mately 100 full and part-time em-
ployees will be hired.
Mr. Kaufman, who graduated
from U-M in 1988, previously was
director of property management
for Milford Singer and Company,
a Detroit-area development and
management firm. He also man-
aged a sports specialty store in
Aspen, Colo.
He is responsible for the daily
supervision of activities at the
complex, including league coor-
dination, employee supervision
and overall facility operations.
Mr. Siegel earned undergrad-
uate and law degrees from U-M
in 1986 and 1989. Before devot-
ing his time to the development
of the complex, Mr. Siegel prac-
ticed law for three years at the
Chicago office of Katten, Muchin
& Zavis, handling real estate
transactions.
His major responsibilities at
the complex are long-range
strategic planning and legal coun-
sel.
The major focuses of the com-
plex are providing a professional
environment for amateur ath-
letes, the promotion of league
play and the availability of places
for spectators to socialize and
watch the action.
In addition, because of Mr. Du-
mars' contacts in the NBA, the
complex is expected to become a
home away from home for teams
visiting Detroit.
FIELDHOUSE page 40