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DETROIT (AP) -- Tiger Stadium will come down, but the playing field will be preserved, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says.

The city plans to demolish the landmark former home of the Detroit Tigers and replace it with shops and housing, Kilpatrick said Thursday. The playing field itself would be retained as a park and ball diamond, he said.

The plan also would retain a small part of the stadium itself. It has been largely vacant since the Tigers moved out in 1999.

Kilpatrick told the Detroit Free Press that the plan offers the best chance to improve the nearby Corktown neighborhood and to save the baseball field.

The Tigers began playing at the site near downtown late in the 19th century and moved into Tiger Stadium in 1912. The American League club now plays at the new, downtown Comerica Park.

Kilpatrick's announcement follows years of debate over what to do with Tiger Stadium. City officials generally have spoken about demolishing it and putting something new at the site, while some preservationists have talked about finding new uses for it.

"We joined in partnership with the Corktown community to take the necessary steps to move our city forward," the mayor said. "The decision meets our goals of increasing economic development while maintaining the integrity of the neighborhood.

"The future of the Michigan and Trumbull site will honor and preserve the memory of Tiger Stadium."

The cost of the project has not been determined. The city will seek developers to build the housing and stores, George Jackson, president of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and a top aide to Kilpatrick, told The Detroit News.

"Yes, the stadium will be demolished, but we will have respect for the historical significance of the site," Jackson said.

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