'District Detroit': Red Wings' New Arena Details Released

[Guest Playmaker]

Meh, add it to the list of all the other things that were supposed to transform Detroit: Comerica Park, Ford Field, The SuperBowl, the All Star Game, the Casinos, the Cobo Expansion. I'll believe it when I see it. There was supposed to be a big entertainment and housing expansion with Comerica and Ford Field, too.

Not getting all the affection for Joe Louis Arena. That place was a dump even before it opened. It was totally thrown together without much thought.

[loutswings 47]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=C4&Date=20140720&Category=BUSINESS&ArtNo=307200114&Ref=PH

Edited July 20, 2014 by loutswings

[Nev 1,085]

Thankfully Holland will have no input in building the arena or it would come out looking like a pizza hut.

Im not thrilled about this because 2 years ago i was married on the ice in Joe Louis. Its going to be sad if they tear it down and we cant go back to where we were married.

Pics or it never happened

[Dabura 12,228]

Not getting all the affection for Joe Louis Arena.

It's the place where our team plays and has played for a long time. I've never been, but it holds sentimental value and then some for me, simply by virtue of its association with the Wings and my devotion to them.

[Euro_Twins 4,485]

It's the place where our team plays and has played for a long time. I've never been, but it holds sentimental value and then some for me, simply by virtue of its association with the Wings and my devotion to them.

Ya well some of us got laid there...

Not me but you know, some lucky bastard

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

I have mixed feelings about this. Personally, I love the Joe. It has so much character, history and the sight lines (IMO) are great. Even in the upper deck it feels like you're on top of the action, and the standing room areas are superb.

While the idea of a new arena is also exciting, I can't help but feel it will be another generic, state of the art place where everything is overpriced and you have to bring binoculars to the game.

This^ but if they still let the upper bowl peeps go down to the glass and take pics, etc. then it won't be so bad.

[Dabura 12,228]

it will be torn down

I know.

[Hockeymom1960 5,107]

Meh, add it to the list of all the other things that were supposed to transform Detroit: Comerica Park, Ford Field, The SuperBowl, the All Star Game, the Casinos, the Cobo Expansion. I'll believe it when I see it. There was supposed to be a big entertainment and housing expansion with Comerica and Ford Field, too.

Not getting all the affection for Joe Louis Arena. That place was a dump even before it opened. It was totally thrown together without much thought.

Why? I think it's great!

[Dabura 12,228]

http://www.freep.com/article/20140720/BUSINESS06/307200103

Deconstructed design: Most arenas are built as a big box with the playing surface and seating ringed by concourses, concession stands, team offices and restaurants. But the new arena will be “deconstructed” with the outer-ring functions moved into structures just set off or pulled away from the core inner playing surface and seats. They won’t be separate buildings, but linked by a first-ever interior streetscape.

Glass covered streetscape: The area between the seating bowl and the outer buildings will be covered by glass to create a “covered via,” or interior streetscape, filled with trees, retail, dining and other amenities. Bridges and walkways will connect the outer buildings to the seating bowl through this covered interior street.

Lighted roof design: The roof of the arena will be fashioned with the most modern programmable lighting so that different images can be produced for a given event. In the rendering provided by Olympia Development, the roof shows the Red Wings logo as it will on hockey nights. But the roof could be green for St. Patrick’s Day or something else for a concert by Kid Rock or Eminem, Ilitch said. He described the desired effect as “classy, not gaudy.”

Playing surface: The playing surface will be set about 32 feet below ground level to lower the profile of the building, producing a more human-scale environment in the district where most buildings will rise just two to four stories. That follows the practice at Comerica Park and Ford Field, where the playing surfaces were set below ground level.

[Dabura 12,228]

I like the "covered via" idea. Sounds Vegasy. Actually, reminds me of an early concept for EPCOT:

http://www.yesterland.com/domedcity.html

[juiceman 6]

In addition to a more-than-20,000-seatarena, plans call for new residential buildings and dozens of restaurants and retail, as well as a hotel, new parks and streetlights, and other remade infrastructure. Ilitch said the area will offer an intimate, festive air that he compared to European cities known for their street life.

I had heard as well that the arena was going to seat about 18,000, but the article states that it's going to be more than 20,000. I wonder who is correct.

[cchase231 3]

I had heard as well that the arena was going to seat about 18,000, but the article states that it's going to be more than 20,000. I wonder who is correct.

18k actual seats and into the 20s with standing room and suite capacity?

[dat's sick 1,002]

Looks good. I was a fan of the mockup somone did of a barn-style arena but this is modern and seems to have kind of an innovative design. That roof is gonna look amazing too.

[Jersey Wing 1,521]

I think it looks BRILLIANT! I love the plans and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Detroit's #1 Champion, Mike Ilitch

[Winterberg 6]

http://districtdetroit.com/

More info and pics

[Echolalia 2,961]

I love the idea of separated concessions and restaurants. It will be awesome to walk out of the arena proper between periods, into essentially a neighborhood of shops under a starry sky (protected by a glass roof). I'm under the impression that these shops will be accessible from Woodward and neighboring streets as well, which implies that at least some of them may be open for regular hours, instead of limited to during arena events.

[dat's sick 1,002]

I love the idea of separated concessions and restaurants. It will be awesome to walk out of the arena proper between periods, into essentially a neighborhood of shops under a starry sky (protected by a glass roof). I'm under the impression that these shops will be accessible from Woodward and neighboring streets as well, which implies that at least some of them may be open for regular hours, instead of limited to during arena events.

Yeah I read somewhere in the description that everything would be open even when nothing is going on in the arena.

[Datsyukian-Deke 722]

Pics or it never happened

They showed a clip of it during the Wings vs. Hawks game the next day on NBC.

[PumpkinEscobar 136]

Putting a Hopcat down there..100 plus beers on tap

[Euro_Twins 4,485]

http://www.freep.com/article/20140720/BUSINESS06/307200103

Ya but what about the parking garage?

[Echolalia 2,961]

Putting a Hopcat down there..100 plus beers on tap

Hopcat will be on Woodward and Canfield, which is next door to the Whitney.

[Datsyukian-Deke 722]

I love the idea of being able to see the Red Wing logo when flying over Detroit .

[ShanahanMan 473]

So happy for the new arena but I do think the district would have been better suited somewhere in Oakland County like Novi.

There's just no money flowing in Detroit.

[dirtydangles 1,328]

Love the concept! You can tell they designed this place to maximize its usefulness to not just the red wings but also the community. Its great that restaurants and stores can stay open all week and the lighting of the arena is just so cool - reminds me of allianz soccer stadium in munich germany where bayern munich plays.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

It looks like a new colloseum, the lighting effects with the RW logo are great. Gotta be the first arena to do that.

But overall I agree I think a place somewhere outside would have been a better choice.