OCTOBER 7 • 2021 | 33

T

he William Davidson 
Foundation and the 
Detroit Riverfront 
Conservancy announced 
that a new Sport House in 
the future 22-acre park on 
Detroit’s West Riverfront 
will be named after Detroit 
businessman, philanthropist 
and former NBA Detroit 
Pistons owner William “Bill” 
Davidson (1922-2009). 
With its most recent 
commitments to the 
Conservancy, the William 
Davidson Foundation has 
now granted more than 
$11 million to the ongoing 
transformation of Detroit’s 
international riverfront into 
a beautiful and accessible 
world-class gathering place 
for all. 
The William Davidson 
Sport House will add to 
the public offerings on 
the Detroit Riverfront and 
features a raised canopy with 
skylight that provides two 
public open-air basketball 
courts and flexible space for a 

range of programs and events 
that will welcome visitors 
from all walks of life. 
Designed by award-
winning Ghanaian-British 
architect Sir David Adjaye, 
who also designed the 
National Museum of 
African American History 
and Culture, the William 
Davidson Sport House is 
slated for completion in 2023. 
The Sport House will be part 
of the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. 
Centennial Park, also named 
after a renowned professional 
sports team owner (NFL’s 
Buffalo Bills), businessman 
and philanthropist.
“No project truly 
connects the region and 
plays a more central role 
in Detroit’s resurgence 
than the revitalization of 
more than five miles of the 
Detroit Riverfront from the 
Ambassador Bridge to Belle 
Isle,” said Darin McKeever, 
president and CEO of 
the William Davidson 
Foundation.

The Foundation considers 
the William Davidson Sport 
House a fitting tribute to its 
founder, as Davidson owned 
the Pistons, the WNBA’s 
Detroit Shock and NHL’s 
Tampa Bay Lightning pro 
sports franchises and is 
widely considered a visionary 
in bringing together sports, 
venues and the community. 
His sports honors included 
election to the Naismith 
Memorial Basketball Hall 
of Fame and selection as an 
inaugural inductee into the 
Michigan Jewish Sports Hall 
of Fame.
Founded in 2005, 
the William Davidson 
Foundation’s grantmaking 
has accelerated since its 
founder’s death in March 
2009 and today it is among 
the five largest Michigan-
based foundations. The 
Foundation’s priorities — 
including its focus on Detroit 
and Southeast Michigan — 
reflect Mr. Davidson’s.
“The last year and a half 
have brought so much of our 
region’s most critical and 
under-appreciated assets into 
sharper focus: our resilient 
small business owners 
and entrepreneurs, our 
inspiring arts and cultural 
institutions, and the public 
parks and other gathering 
places where we have found 
comfort and connection,” 
added McKeever. “These are 
areas the William Davidson 
Foundation knows well, 
and we look forward to 
continuing our work with our 
grantees and other partners 
to ensure the success of the 
people and places Southeast 
Michigan needs for a bright 
future.”
In total, the William 
Davidson Foundation has 
now committed more than 
$500 million in grants since 
its inception in 2005. 

DETROIT RIVERFRONT CONSERVANCY

Future Detroit 
Riverfront Park 
Sport House to 
Be Named for 
Bill Davidson

JN STAFF

