Little Caesars Arena

Little Caesars Arena
"The Baddest Bowl"[1]
Former names Detroit Events Center (working title)[2]
Address 66 Sibley Street[3]
Location Detroit, Michigan
Coordinates 42°20′28.22″N 83°3′17.68″W / 42.3411722°N 83.0549111°W / 42.3411722; -83.0549111Coordinates: 42°20′28.22″N 83°3′17.68″W / 42.3411722°N 83.0549111°W / 42.3411722; -83.0549111
Public transit Sibley Station[4]
Owner Downtown Development Authority[5]
Operator Olympia Entertainment[6]
Executive suites 60[7]
Capacity Ice Hockey: 20,000[2]
Basketball: 21,000[2]
Concerts: 15,000–22,000[2]
Construction
Broke ground September 25, 2014[8]
Construction cost $732.6 million[9]
Architect HOK[10]
Structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates[11]
Services engineer Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
General contractor Barton Malow/Hunt/White[12]
Tenants
Detroit Red Wings (NHL) (2017–) (planned)
Detroit Pistons (NBA) (2017–) (planned)

Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena under construction in midtown Detroit. Construction began on April 24, 2015 following a formal groundbreaking ceremony on September 25, 2014. The new arena, which will cost $732.6 million to construct, will succeed both Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the homes of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), respectively.

The arena, which will feature a unique, glass-roofed concourse connecting it to offices and shops surrounding it, will anchor a new, $650 million, 650,000-square-foot (60,000 m2) sports and entertainment district in and around downtown Detroit that will include mixed-use neighborhoods with new residential and retail outlets, located around the Cass Corridor, Ford Field, and Comerica Park.

Design

Little Caesars Arena was designed by HOK, and features a unique "deconstructed" layout. Buildings housing retail outlets, the arena's box office, and the offices of the Red Wings will be built outside the arena, but a glass roof will be erected between the buildings and the arena itself. The roof will form an indoor "street" that will serve as the arena's concourse.[12] The concourse will remain open year-round, even if an event is not occurring inside the arena, allowing it to also be used as a venue of its own.[12] There will also be an outdoor plaza with a large video display.[13]

The eight-story arena will be built as a bowl, with its floor 40 feet (12 m) below street level, and projected seating capacities of 20,000 for ice hockey and 21,000 for basketball.[2][14] The bowl will also feature a "gondola" seating level suspended above the stands.[13] The exterior of the bowl structure will be capable of displaying video projections.[13] Also planned is a 37,300-square-foot (3,470 m2) practice ice rink inside the arena.[15]

The Bell Centre in Montreal is cited to be one of the biggest influences of the arena's design.[16][17] Christopher Ilitch described the arena's design as being "revolutionary", and believes that it may influence future arena designs in other cities.[12][18]

History

Comerica Park and Ford Field (pictured) will be incorporated into a "Wildcat Corner" district near the new arena.

It was reported in May 2012 that the Red Wings had hired HKS, Inc. and NBBJ to design a new arena for the team, which would replace the 33-year-old Joe Louis Arena as their home ice.[19] Joe Louis Arena is owned by the City of Detroit and leased to Olympia Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Red Wings' parent company, Ilitch Holdings, which has full operational control. In contrast, the new arena will be owned by the city's Downtown Development Authority and its land will be leased to Olympia and the Red Wings rent free for a long term.[5][20] Sales of game tickets, parking, concessions, souvenirs, and any potential naming rights deals will not be subject to revenue sharing with the City of Detroit as they are with Joe Louis Arena. The city earned an average of $7 million per year through these revenue sharing agreements.[21]

Olympia Entertainment officially announced in December 2012 its intention to develop a new district in downtown Detroit composed of offices, residential facilities, and "a new state-of-the-art, multi-purpose events center", with an estimated cost of $650 million.[22] In June 2013, the Downtown Development Authority officially announced the location of the new Detroit Red Wings arena and entertainment district.[23] On July 24, 2013, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved the Downtown Development Authority's request for $650 million in funding.[24] $285 million of the $650 million cost will be public, with $365.5 million in private funding.[23] It was originally estimated that the arena itself would cost $450 million to construct.[25]

Christopher Ilitch unveiled renderings of the new arena and entertainment district on July 20, 2014, which will be known as The District Detroit.[12] He explained that the project's goal was to "build out a sports and entertainment district that is world-class and rivals anything in the country, perhaps the world." The district, which will complement the QLINE streetcar, will primarily be built on vacant land near the Cass Corridor along Woodward Avenue, and will incorporate five distinct neighborhoods with new residential and apartment units and European-influenced designs. The district will also feature a hotel, new restaurants, and new retail outlets. Olympia Development will fund the refurbishment of public infrastructure around the arena district, such as street lighting, sidewalks, and paving.[18] One of the neighborhoods, referred to by Ilitch as "Wildcat Corner", will incorporate the area occupied by the Tigers and Lions' home venues of Comerica Park and Ford Field, respectively, and replace several parking lots with new apartment complexes featuring street-level retail outlets.[12]

Ilitch emphasized the impact of the arena district project would have on Detroit's economy: the new facilities will result in 1,000 new jobs in the city, and 8,300 new jobs will be created for the construction process—Olympia Developments has committed to having 51% of the construction jobs filled by residents of Detroit. Additionally, two Michigan-based contractors will be among those working on the arena, and 80% of the materials used in the construction of the arena will also be sourced from Michigan-based companies when possible.[18]

A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held at the arena site on September 25, 2014.[8] The arena is scheduled to be completed by September 2017.[26] Following the completion of the new arena, Joe Louis Arena will be demolished, and its former site will be redeveloped into a hotel and retail complex. The sale of the Joe Louis Arena site comes as part of a bankruptcy settlement between the Financial Guaranty Insurance Company and the city of Detroit.[12][27]

Mass excavation at the arena site began in April 2015, a few days after Detroit City Council approved a zoning change, allowing vertical construction to officially commence.[28][29]

The Detroit Historic District Commission approved the demolition of the Park Avenue Hotel on June 10, 2015 to make room for what will be the arena's loading dock.[30] Olympia Development claimed that the Park Avenue Hotel stood in a high-security area.[31] A demolition permit was issued on June 22, 2015. Detroit-based Adamo Demolition was the contractor listed on the permit.[32] Despite protests, the building was imploded on July 11, 2015.[33][34][35][36] On August 30, 2015, Olympia Entertainment announced that an estimated 488,000 cubic yards of soil had been excavated in recent months for the below-grade bowl, and hundreds of deep pier foundations were being drilled and filled with concrete through September. The steel frame of the arena began to go up in late fall.[37]

Chris Ilitch announced on February 9, 2016 that Olympia Entertainment had reached a naming rights deal for the new arena, and that its official name would be unveiled by April. It was speculated that one of the companies that was likely to had acquired the naming rights was Little Caesars, a pizza chain also owned by the Ilitch family.[38] The next day, the Detroit Free Press reported that Olympia had registered "The Baddest Bowl" and "The Baddest Bowl in Hockey" as trademarks in relation to the new arena.[1] On February 11, it was reported that a local businessman had sold the domain name "littlecaesarsarena.com" three weeks earlier to an international brokerage firm for "five figures", which suggested that Little Caesars had acquired the naming rights.[39]

Olympia Entertainment officially announced on April 28, 2016 that Little Caesars had acquired the naming rights to the new arena, and that it would be known as Little Caesars Arena. It was also revealed that a large Little Caesars logo would be displayed on the arena's roof; the previous plan for the LED roof was dismissed as being a "placeholder".[40][41][42][43] Chris Ilitch defended the decision of not selling the naming rights to a third-party company, arguing that it was meant to reflect Little Caesars' position as a "legacy business" of the Ilitch family.[44] The announcement was poorly-received by fans; prior to the unveiling of the official name, some fans suggested to The Detroit News that the arena should be named after Gordie Howe.[45][46] Following Howe's death on June 10, 2016, an online petition began to circulate requesting that Little Caesars Arena be renamed in honor of the former Red Wings player.[47][48]

In late October 2016, it was reported that the Detroit Pistons were considering a move from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena as soon as the 2017–18 season, pending league and city approval.[49][50] Pistons owner Tom Gores, Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellum, and Olympia Entertainment have been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with talks intensifying just as the Pistons were set to open their 2016–17 season; the terms may also include a possible merger between Olympia and the Pistons' holding company Palace Sports & Entertainment.[51] The team also sought land to construct a new headquarters and practice facility within the vicinity of the arena.[51]

City officials revealed on November 7, 2016 that the cost of the new arena had rose by $105 million. The increases in cost was credited to routine price increases for materials and other changes to the arena since the previous estimate.[9]

On November 22, 2016, it was officially announced that the Pistons would move to Little Caesars Arena starting with the 2017–18 season.[52][53][54] With the agreement, it will mark the first time since 1974 that all four major sports teams have played in the city limits on a regular basis, and the first time since 1978 that the Pistons have played in the city of Detroit on a regular basis.[51][55][56][57] In addition, the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena will make Detroit the only North American city to have all four major sports teams play in its downtown.[58]

Scheduled events

Sports

In addition to becoming the new home arena for the Red Wings and Pistons, Little Caesars Arena has either already been booked or is a contender for many other sporting events.[59]

Ice hockey

Olympia Entertainment CEO Tom Wilson described an intent for Little Caesars Arena to be an "epicenter" for hockey, prospecting it as a site for events and tournaments at the college and junior levels such as the IIHF World Junior Championship and the Memorial Cup.[60] Wilson also stated its commitment to continue hosting the annual collegiate Great Lakes Invitational at Little Caesars Arena, provided the universities involved maintain their desire to participate.[59]

The Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament currently rotates in location between the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota (2014 and 2016) and Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (2015 and 2017); on the idea of hosting further editions at Little Caesars Arena, Wilson stated that "we'd love to host it every year, but I'm not sure that's in the cards. It's good for us, it's good for everybody here in Detroit, but it's also great for the conference."[59]

College basketball

In November 2014, it was announced that first and second round games during the 2018 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament would be held at Little Caesars Arena, hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy.[61][62] Although the nearby Palace of Auburn Hills hosted preliminary rounds of the Tournament in 2013, this will be the Tournament's first visit to Detroit since the city hosted the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field.[63][64]

On May 7, 2015, it was announced that the Horizon League Men's Basketball Tournament would be held in Detroit beginning in 2016 under a 5-year deal. For 2016 and 2017, it will be held at Joe Louis Arena, but the tournament is expected to move to Little Caesars Arena beginning in 2018.[65]

In July 2016, it was announced that the Horizon League's Women's Basketball Tournament would also move to Detroit and run concurrently with the men's tournament, playing at Joe Louis Arena in 2017, and moving to Little Caesars Arena starting in 2018.[66]

References

  1. 1 2 Reindl, JC (February 10, 2016). "Ilitches trademark 'Baddest Bowl in Hockey' for Wings arena". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 McCollum, Brian (March 10, 2016). "As new arena takes shape, concert plans in the works". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  3. ↑ Shea, Bill (October 15, 2016). "Palace's fate would have big impact on concert business". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Sponsored Stops - M-1 Rail". M-1Rail.com. M-1 Rail. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Shea, Bill (November 4, 2015). "Ilitches add $95 million worth of features to new Red Wings arena". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  6. ↑ Shea, Bill (October 1, 2015). "Work on steel frame for new Red Wings arena to begin by Halloween". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  7. ↑ St. James, Helene (August 24, 2016). "Model of Little Caesars Arena reveals big plans for seats, suites". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 24, 2016.
  8. 1 2 Gallagher, John (September 25, 2014). "Ground broken for new Red Wings arena". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  9. 1 2 Aguilar, Louis (November 7, 2016). "Cost to build Little Caesars Arena rises $105M". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  10. ↑ Shea, Bill (January 13, 2015). "Global design firm HOK buys primary architect for Detroit Red Wings arena". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved June 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ Witcher, T. R. (November 25, 2014). "Motor City Plans Giant Sports, Entertainment District". American Society of Civil Engineers. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shea, Bill (July 20, 2014). "Detroit Rink City: Ilitches' grand plan to supersize the entertainment district". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 Gallagher, John (November 4, 2015). "Red Wings arena to have gondola seats, outdoor plaza". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  14. ↑ Russell, Kim; Edwards, Tara (September 25, 2014). "Ilitch companies break ground for new Detroit Red Wings Arena". WXYZ.com. Detroit: The E.W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  15. ↑ Shea, Bill (September 24, 2014). "Work starts Thursday on Red Wings arena: Details on funding, development, design". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
  16. ↑ Kulfan, Ted (August 23, 2016). "Wings fans can enjoy games at new arena from outside". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  17. ↑ Duff, Bob (August 23, 2016). "Duff: Wings believe Little Caesars Arena will be the gold standard of arenas". The Windsor Star. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 Gallagher, John (July 20, 2014). "Hockey, housing and more: Ilitches unveil 'bold vision' for Red Wings arena district". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on April 25, 2015. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  19. ↑ Muret, Don (May 21, 2012). "Red Wings closer to new arena with pair of architects". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  20. ↑ Guillen, Joe (September 2, 2015). "Detroit firms get 38% of Red Wings arena work". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  21. ↑ Guillen, Joe; Reindl, JC (February 12, 2016). "Former city arena negotiators working for Ilitches". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  22. ↑ van Meek, Sandra (December 4, 2012). "Ilitch Organization Exploring Development of New Residential, Retail, Office and Events Center District in Downtown Detroit" (PDF) (Press release). Ilitch Holdings. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  23. 1 2 Shea, Bill (June 19, 2013). "DDA, Red Wings unveil $650 million arena and entertainment complex". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
  24. ↑ "State Agency OKs Bonds For New Red Wings Arena". CBS Detroit. July 24, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  25. ↑ Aguilar, Louis (November 4, 2015). "Red Wings arena cost at $627M, could go higher". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 4, 2015.
  26. ↑ Aguilar, Louis (January 28, 2016). "Future Red Wings home on track for Sept. 2017 opening". The Detroit News. Digital First Media. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  27. ↑ Helms, Matt (October 16, 2014). "Detroit deal with creditor includes Joe Louis site". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Detroit City Council Votes To Approve Rezoning Plan For New Red Wings Arena". CBS Detroit. April 21, 2015. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  29. ↑ Cardenas, Edward (April 27, 2015). "Construction Begins On New Red Wings Arena (Video)". CBS Detroit. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  30. ↑ "Commission OKs historic hotel demolition for Detroit Red Wings hockey arena". Crain's Detroit Business. June 11, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  31. ↑ Ferretti, Christine (June 25, 2015). "Demolition permit issued for former Park Avenue hotel". The Detroit News. Digital First Media. Retrieved July 7, 2016.
  32. ↑ Guillen, Joe (June 25, 2015). "Detroit OKs demolition permit for Park Avenue Hotel". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  33. ↑ Austin, Dan (April 13, 2015). "Detroit's past can play role in future arena district". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
  34. ↑ Bragg, Amy Elliott (June 9, 2015). "Nine reasons to save the Park Avenue Hotel: HDC Meeting is this Wednesday, June 10". Preservation Detroit. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  35. ↑ "Dear Council: We're counting on you to stand up for smart development - Preservation Detroit". Preservation Detroit. April 6, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  36. ↑ Brand-Williams, Oralandar (July 11, 2015). "Video: Implosion brings down Park Avenue Hotel". The Detroit News. Digital First Media. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  37. ↑ Shea, Bill (August 30, 2015). "Dig it! Excavation for new Red Wings arena complete". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  38. ↑ Shea, Bill (February 10, 2016). "What will new Red Wings arena be called? Banks, Little Caesars, Amway among possibilities". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  39. ↑ Snell, Robert (February 11, 2016). "Little Caesars Arena website sale adds to speculation about name of new Red Wings home". Crain's Detroit Business. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  40. ↑ Gallagher, John (April 28, 2016). "Red Wings name new downtown rink: It's 'Little Caesars Arena'". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  41. ↑ Aguilar, Louis (April 28, 2016). "Red Wings stadium to be Little Caesars Arena". The Detroit News. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  42. ↑ Thibodeau, Ian (April 28, 2016). "Little Caesars Arena is name of new Detroit Red Wings venue". MLive. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved May 1, 2016.
  43. ↑ "VIDEO: New Red Wings arena won't have LED roof; team ops for giant Little Caesars logo". WXYZ.com. Detroit: The E.W. Scripps Company. April 28, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2016.
  44. ↑ Gallagher, John (April 29, 2016). "Ilitches: Little Caesars Arena name a 'legacy' decision". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  45. ↑ Graham, Adam (March 23, 2016). "Howe about The Gord? Readers offer names for new arena". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  46. ↑ Burns, Gus (April 28, 2016). "The Internet is laughing at Little Caesars Arena name". MLive.com. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Movement grows to rename arena Gordie Howe Arena". Fox2Detroit.com. Fox Television Stations. June 10, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Gordie Howe exposé en chapelle ardente". Le Journal de Montreal (in French). June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  49. ↑ Hutchinson, Derick (October 26, 2016). "Detroit Pistons finalizing deal to move downtown, sources say". ClickOnDetroit.com. Graham Media Group. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
  50. ↑ Ellis, Vince (October 26, 2016). "Detroit Pistons hammering out 2 key issues for downtown arena move". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  51. 1 2 3 Ellis, Vince (October 29, 2016). "Tom Gores confirms Pistons 'very close' to move downtown, and soon". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  52. ↑ "Pistons to Move to Downtown Detroit". Pistons.com. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  53. ↑ Manzullo, Brian; Gallagher, John; Guillen, Joe (November 22, 2016). "Detroit Pistons moving downtown: 'We want to be all in on Detroit'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  54. ↑ Paul, Tony (November 22, 2016). "'The right move': Pistons returning to Detroit". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 22, 2016.
  55. ↑ "Tigers Ballparks". Tigers.com. MLB Advanced Media. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  56. ↑ Dow, Bill (December 10, 2010). "The Detroit Lions' Last Game at Tiger Stadium". Detroit Athletic Co. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  57. ↑ Krupa, Gregg (October 17, 2016). "The Final Period Begins for Joe Louis Arena". The Detroit News. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  58. ↑ "Pistons move makes Detroit only North American city with 4 pro teams in its downtown". ClickOnDetroit.com. November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  59. 1 2 3 Sipple, George (September 24, 2014). "New Detroit arena will be in mix to host many events". Detroit Free Press. Gannett Company. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  60. ↑ Goricki, David (September 24, 2014). "Wilson: New Red Wings arena could be hockey 'epicenter'". The Detroit News. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  61. ↑ Jahnke, James; Gallagher, John (November 17, 2014). "New Detroit arena to host 2018 NCAA tournament games". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  62. ↑ "New Red Wings Arena To Host 2018 First and Second Round NCAA Basketball Tournament Games". CBS Detroit. November 17, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  63. ↑ "2013 NCAA Tournament Schedule and Key Dates". ESPN. June 29, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  64. ↑ Fensom, Michael J. (March 31, 2009). "Countdown to the 2009 Final Four in Detroit". NJ.com. Booth Newspapers. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  65. ↑ Paul, Tony (May 7, 2015). "Moving Horizon League tourney to Detroit is all about branding". The Detroit News. Digital First Media. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  66. ↑ "Horizon League Announces 2017 Little Caesars Motor City Madness Updates". Horizon League. July 5, 2016. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
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