All I can say is about time!! Detroit, and the Red Wings.

[Mr. Guru]

DETROIT, MI - More specifics for a new, 18,000-seat, state-of-the-art Detroit Red Wings arena and accompanying entertainment district were revealed at a Downtown Development Authority meeting Wednesday, though Detroit Economic Growth Corporation President and CEO George Jackson said the plans are "framework" and the portrait of the development is still being drawn.

http://www.mlive.com/business/detroi...etroit.html#/0

[Pengwin7]

Apparently it'll be close to Ford Field (Lions) & Comerica Park (Tigers).
Smart move.

JLA was a classic (the troughs!!!)... but honestly, it's probably one of the biggest dumps (the troughs!!!) of current NHL arenas.

[JagrBomb]

i guess theyll have to learn how to play hockey without using those nasty ass reboundy boards

[Dakkster]

i guess theyll have to learn how to play hockey without using those nasty ass reboundy boards

Nope, Al Sobotka will just move the boards right over to the new arena

Olympia was just as classic as the Joe. I'm sure the new one will also become a classic. The ONLY thing I ask is that Illitch doesn't sell out the arena name so that it becomes a revolving door of different company names.

[Mr. Guru]

Keeping it Joe Lewis would be nice.

But with this new planned district I'm sure many organizations and companies will want in on the action. At the end of the day, money talks.

[Pengwin7]

A very thorough article on the new arena & location.

[Mr. Guru]

hahhaha nice!

I could see the Joe from the roof of my parents house in Windsor, so yes, that is a horrific mistake on my end.

I'm just excited for plans to be popping up for an improved downtown hockey scene in Detroit. The Joe's surroundings, let alone the arena itself, is one of the worst I have ever been to personally.

If this proposal actually gets done, the arena will be 2-3 blocks (but a walk path that goes under highway I75)from Comerica Park and Ford Field. The city has really built a nice surroundings for those newly built stadiums, and I'm sure they would resume the uplift just a couple block north.

For those who live in and around Detroit/Windsor, or those who visit Detroit often, this is definitely exciting news.

[lobo1969]

How the hell does a cash strapped city like Detroit, in a cash strapped state of Michigan, be able to close a $650M deal for a new arena project without a ton of opposition and controversy? Detroit is under financial oversight of the state they because they in such a deep hole financially.
Guess it helps that the Federal Gov. in Canada is footing the bill for a new $1B ONT/Michigan bridge that the state said they were too broke to help build...
Even worse is Edmonton, being one of the hottest economic zones in north America, is still scrapping together cash for their $450M arena project and 'broke' Detroit is still outspending Edmonton. Oiler's owner Katz and particularily Edmonton city council should be scrutinizing how Ilitch and the city of Detroit have gotten this deal done with everybody apparently smelling like roses.

[Pengwin7]

Detroit used to collect property tax funds to pay off their public schools debt.
Something about the Downtown Development Authority.

Anyways... the school debt got paid off around 2010... I believe.
Then that special tax stopped.

But in December... they voted to use the similar collection to fund the stadium.

At least, from the reading I've done - that's the way it works.
Since most property owners benefit from increases in other property value, it seems pretty reasonable that this legislation passed so well: 27-11.

More reading.
Third bullet down.
Voted in back in December.

[TheRook]

Will never forget my one trip to the Joe. My friend and I flew in to see a game and somehow took a wrong turn leaving the arena.

It quickly went from mass traffic to no one on the streets and this wasnt the type of neighborhood to stop and ask for directions. No matter what street we turned on it seemed we got thicker into this maze.

We were stopped at a red light. My buddy very much ready to step on the gas in a moments notice where we would then ignore any lights or possible traffic violations. A car pulls up to the right of us and both of us dont want to be the one to look over but i slowly swivel my head and notice this old couple staring at us. She motions to roll down the window. Since she wasnt as intimidating as she possibly could be we decided to comply.

As if she was humoring herself she asked "You boys lost?"
Me "Yeah, we are trying to find the freeway but must have taken a wrong turn"
After a slight chuckle she tells us "make a left at the next light, then a right after the second street, then a left, another left and then a right. We would then run right into the entrance. Cant miss it."
She must have recognize the look of confusion and the lack of retention so after a pause she looked over and said "Just follow us, we will tell you where to go."

So away we went, not sure if she was luring us to our deaths but we followed her and after a series of turns she pointed us straight to the freeway entrance. We made it out of downtown Detroit with all our limbs. She was probably thinking "we saved a couple more dumb as white people"!

That will always be remembered as the time my buddy and I were escorted out of the hood in Detroit.

[hockeyrobot]

Being from Canada I love that this eliminates the AWFUL border traffic going under the river. I would normally go through Sarnia anyway so we'd occassionally pass by Comerica and ForD Field.

Awesome stuff. WIll always love the "hockey arena" feeling at the Joe though....

[Mr. Guru]

It wouldn't eliminate the tunnel traffic at all.

And Rook, that's a great story. I have many like that growing up in Windsor. Actually my cousins from Toronto would often visit and want us to show them '8 mile'. We would go during the day as if it were a field trip. I wouldn't dare going at night, but I have been in neighborhoods at night that I shouldn't have been in.

[hockeyrobot]

It wouldn't eliminate the tunnel traffic at all.

And Rook, that's a great story. I have many like that growing up in Windsor. Actually my cousins from Toronto would often visit and want us to show them '8 mile'. We would go during the day as if it were a field trip. I wouldn't dare going at night, but I have been in neighborhoods at night that I shouldn't have been in.

Hahah woops.....I thought Comerica was way further......not 0.9 miles.

[Dakkster]

Apparently one of the parts of the deal is that Illitch retains naming rights.

[Zorro]

Maybe this will make Lidstrom come back, HAHA..

Great news for the Detroit Red Wings franchise and the city of Detroit..