In Detroit, John Gallagher notes Red Wings coach Mike Babcock "didn't mean to start a swirl of rumors about a new arena downtown this week, but he did." Ilitch Holdings VP/Corporate Relations Karen Cullen, whose organization is the parent company of the Red Wings, said that there was "nothing new in Babcock's comments." She said, "Our organization has been on the record as saying we'd like to have a new arena downtown." Meanwhile, a rumor that Bloomfield Hills-based mall developer The Taubman Co. "might be involved was quickly shot down" by company spokesperson Karen MacDonald. She said, "There's no proposal that's been made to us or that we're reviewing, nor do we anticipate one" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 2/23).
APPROVED TO REDEVELOP: In Ottawa, David Reevely notes the City Council voted 21-1 yesterday to "move ahead with the Lansdowne Park redevelopment." The project involves "fixing up" Frank Clair Stadium and the Civic Centre arena, "building retail and residences and commercial buildings on the north part of the site and greening the southeast" (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 2/23).
HIGH DEMAND: In Florida, Michael Braun notes tours of the Red Sox' new Spring Training home, JetBlue Park, are "quite the hot ticket these days." The first two days the tours were offered "so many people showed up that additional tours were put into place." Tours are $5 per person and free for children 12 and younger. m.creativepr Owner Melinda Isley, whose company is handling PR for the Red Sox at JetBlue Park, said that park officials "estimated on Monday and Tuesday about" 1,200 people took the tours (Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS, 2/23).
ACQUIRING ACRES: Vail Resorts announced yesterday that it has “purchased Kirkwood Mountain Resort at Lake Tahoe, Calif. for approximately $18 million and expects to close the deal within the month.” ESPN.com’s Colin Bane noted Kirkwood’s 2,300 “skiable acres will make it the smallest of the Vail Resorts mountains.” Kirkwood’s Mountain Master Development Plan was last updated in ’03, and Vail Resorts co-President Blaise Carrig said that “no immediate capital improvement plans at Kirkwood have been announced yet” (ESPN.com, 2/22).
