DETROIT | Little Caesars Arena & The District Detroit - Page 8

animatedmartian · #**141** Posted **Feb 4, 2016, 11:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderer34

It looks like it will be a great arena, replacing the hallowed, but decrepit Joe Louis Arena. My question is will this arena also be able to host basketball games as well??? I hope so since it increases the chance of the Pistons of coming back to Downtown Detroit.

It is being built with the capacity to host basketball games and other events, however, it could possibly be another 10 years before the Pistons make the move downtown.

The Pistons' owner Tom Gores and Mike Illitch have a pretty loose relationship and there doesn't seem to be any urgency to strengthen ties so the likelihood of sharing an arena doesn't seem too great as of this moment (at least not publicly). Gores wants to maximize the use of the Palace before making any decisions. Though I imagine if he waits too long, any new stadium would be a little ways outside of the downtown core assuming how much new development will probably occur in the coming years.

hammersklavier · #**142** Posted **Feb 4, 2016, 11:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It is being built with the capacity to host basketball games and other events, however, it could possibly be another 10 years before the Pistons make the move downtown.

The Pistons' owner Tom Gores and Mike Illitch have a pretty loose relationship and there doesn't seem to be any urgency to strengthen ties so the likelihood of sharing an arena doesn't seem too great as of this moment (at least not publicly). Gores wants to maximize the use of the Palace before making any decisions. Though I imagine if he waits too long, any new stadium would be a little ways outside of the downtown core assuming how much new development will probably occur in the coming years.

It seems strange to me how Detroit has both basketball and hockey teams and they don't play in the same place. The Flyers and Sixers both play in the Wells Fargo Center, the Rangers and Knicks in Madison Square Garden, and so on.

Basketball requires a smaller court than hockey does a rink. Nearly any arena built for hockey can host a basketball court; the converse is not always true.

animatedmartian · #**143** Posted **Feb 5, 2016, 3:23 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hammersklavier

It seems strange to me how Detroit has both basketball and hockey teams and they don't play in the same place. The Flyers and Sixers both play in the Wells Fargo Center, the Rangers and Knicks in Madison Square Garden, and so on.

Basketball requires a smaller court than hockey does a rink. Nearly any arena built for hockey can host a basketball court; the converse is not always true.

It's actually pretty common from what I'm aware of.

But it's mostly an issue dealing with non-sporting related events. With a Piston's move, Gores would have his main draw in another stadium while he tries to get events into the stadium he still owns. That doesn't seem too logical.

On the other hand, the new arena might do really well with non-sporting events because of its downtown location and cause a substantial hurt to the Palace (though even at this point, that's not a guarantee with or without a Piston's move). If the Palace was already another 10-15 years older with declining attendance and booking rates, the move might have been already made. But it's a pretty successful stadium despite it's location so it might be a "wait-and-see" sort of thing.

animatedmartian · #**144** Posted **Feb 9, 2016, 9:40 AM**

Curiously, on District Detroit's Instagram, there's an aerial video that goes up Park Avenue leading to I-75 and the arena. Not sure if there's any deeper intentions to this video other than being a cool aerial shot.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQtAW0ytvZ/

There's no official plans for a cap or pedestrian bridge here (though the discoloration in the concrete wall sure makes it look tempting). However, Mr. Ilitch & Co. have stated at one point or another that the Fisher Freeway does present a barrier between downtown and Midtown especially in terms of pedestrian traffic. I believe there's a hope for retail to line Woodward similar to the freeway cap in Columbus, Ohio. Beyond that, I'm unaware of any plans or visions for anything over the freeway.

In the mean time, more progress on the arena:

• Video Link

Pictures from: http://wingsarena.tumblr.com/

Docta_Love · #**145** Posted **Feb 10, 2016, 12:25 AM**

Man this is really starting to get me excited seeing a shot like this! From this angle Detroit is gonna look like a different city in a year or two with The District Detroit and the Gilbert Brush Park Development.

animatedmartian · #**146** Posted **Feb 11, 2016, 3:15 AM**

Nosebleed seats. February 9th, 2016.

http://www.districtdetroit.com/live-web-cam/

skyfan · #**147** Posted **Feb 21, 2016, 6:07 PM**

From yesterday. Foundation work is underway in parking deck area. Also looks like they're starting another elevator core on south side of the area. I'm really curious what they plan on doing with that concrete pad they were pouring across the street

animatedmartian · #**148** Posted **Feb 26, 2016, 2:42 AM**

Quote:

New Red Wings arena will have 5 restaurants, 7 clubs, more concessions
By Ian Thibodeau. MLive Detroit. February 25, 2016.

The Detroit Events Center will have five restaurants, seven bars and 60 percent more concessions than Joe Louis Arena, Christopher Ilitch said Thursday.

Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, told a group gathered for an annual lunch with the Detroit Red Wings that the $627-million arena project in Detroit's Cass Corridor has rapidly progressed since just a year ago.

....

Near the end of February, the aggressive construction on the arena continues to rapidly progress. Precast concrete has been installed in parts of the upper bowl, where it's now possible to see where the seats will be.

The arena should have a ceiling by the fall.

A video shown at the luncheon referred to the arena as an intimate place for fans, and an intimidating arena for visiting teams.

Danny Dekeyser, defenseman for the Red Wings, said at the luncheon that he and his teammates are "just excited to have newer updated facilities."

Ilitch and other speakers at the lunch also took time to note that the 2016-2017 NHL season would be Joe Louis Arena's final hockey season.

As far as the Detroit Events Center goes, Olympia Development of Michigan has said there will be a player walkthrough area, much like that seen in modern NFL stadiums, for fans. The massive 785,000-square-foot facility will house the entire Wings practice facility; that includes an ice rink, locker rooms, a track and training facilities. The new locker room will be three times bigger than that at Joe Louis Arena.

The 20,000-seat facility will have "gondola" seating, a public plaza with a big video wall, practice and amateur hockey arenas and "additional video and sound capabilities. The additions will add an additional $95 million to the arena cost, according to the company.

....

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...will_have.html

animatedmartian · #**149** Posted **Mar 11, 2016, 11:51 PM**

Aerial photos from Fox Sports Detroit.

skyfan · #**150** Posted **Mar 16, 2016, 7:50 PM**

The First section of the roof went up today

big W · #**151** Posted **Mar 16, 2016, 9:51 PM**

Last year was the last at Nassau for the Islanders, this year is the last at Rexall in Edmonton and next year is the last at Joe Louis. This should be the end of new NHL home arenas for a while.

animatedmartian · #**152** Posted **Mar 17, 2016, 1:15 AM**

Safe to say, the new Red Wings Arena will have a pretty hefty light bill. Video is a representation of what the LED lighting will be capable of.

Video Link

animatedmartian · #**153** Posted **Mar 26, 2016, 3:12 PM**

Photos from March 24th.

New Red Wings hockey arena taking shape

Photo from March 21st from a separate apartment project down the street.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...artment_c.html

skyfan · #**154** Posted **Apr 6, 2016, 6:37 AM**

Red Wings Underground Practice Ice Taking Shape

It may be getting warmer outside but we’re planning for ice inside the Detroit Events Center—specifically the new practice ice.

Ironworkers began construction of the new Detroit Red Wings underground practice ice facility roof this week with the placement of structural steel in the southwest corner of the arena.

The facility will serve as a warm-up and training area for the Red Wings players but also as an amateur hockey facility to host tournaments, events and training on non-game days.

By the end of April, crane operators will have lifted and placed a total of 14 massive steel girders, each weighing nearly 60,000 pounds. The girders are painted white and will be exposed to create a unique roof structure for the new rink.

“The way this has come together it’s quite an architectural statement,” said Duane Hartley, project manager for Detroit-based Midwest Steel. “The pieces that support the girders are very unique. You want a big open span and you get that with these 120-foot girders.”

http://www.districtdetroit.com/news/...e-taking-shape