Detroit Red Wings unveil new arena plans

By Cory Buck | Jul 21, 2014

Apr 26, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Detroit Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (R) reacts from behind the bench during the third period against the Boston Bruins in game five of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Banknorth Garden. The Bruins won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

The Detroit Red Wings will play in a new arena starting in 2017. Construction on that arena begins this fall. Now, fans can see the entire layout and structure of the plans that surround not just the new hockey arena, but all the other plans for downtown Detroit that surround owner Mike Ilitch’s brainchild that is projected to generate nearly $2 billion in revenue for the city.

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The team’s press release is replete with detailed plans and sketches provided to show fans what the new area will look like and its planned impact on the community. The plan isn’t just to build a new arena as much as it is to build an entirely new neighborhood in downtown Detroit.

“We’ve done business in Detroit for nearly 50 years, and this is our most significant and ambitious project here yet,” said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc, per the press release. “Detroit deserves no less than the best – a world-class sports and entertainment district we can all be proud of. And that’s exactly what we will build.”

In addition to the arena, Ilitch Holdings will aid in the funding of public infrastructure fixtures in the area that include, “lighting, sidewalks, green spaces and streets.” These improvements will represent at least $200M in private funding.

In addition to a new arena and new infrastructure in the area, the release touts the move as a chance to provide jobs in a city starved for employment. “The construction of the District, including the arena, is expected to create approximately 8,300 construction-related jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs in Detroit.”

Many owners have showered fans with promises in the past when it comes to publicly funded sports venues, but credit Red Wings ownership for taking a proactive approach to revamping their home arena. The team has played in Joe Louis Arena since 1979 and clearly needed a new one. Such things are easier said than done in Detroit, one of the poorest cities in America. With the new arena, Mike Ilitch hopes to tap something special in the Detroit community and help turn the downtown area into a source of pride rather than a sore spot on the region.

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