In Detroit, Matt Charboneau reports Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena "will undergo significant enhancements over the next year." Several of the upgrades "will take place over the course of the upcoming season, serving as the opening phase of a complete building renovation." The school said that the funds "would be raised privately but did not give a dollar amount for the project." The upgrades "include theatrical lighting, high-definition video boards, LED ribbon boards, chairback seating, concourse décor and dressing room décor" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/2).
IF YOU BUILD IT...: The Seattle Department of Planning and Development said that hedge fund manager Chris Hansen "had submitted all the paperwork needed for DPD to proceed" with its assessment of his Seattle Arena proposal. DPD Community Relations staffer Wendy Shark said that Hansen "submitted all the requested information, and DPD would have its final report ready by mid-to-late January at the earliest" (KING5.com, 9/30).
STILL FIGHTING IT: In Chicago, Dardick & Byrne report Mayor Rahm Emanuel has borrowed more than $21M "to start paying for the former Michael Reese hospital site that was bought as part of former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s failed bid" for the '16 Summer Olympics. City Hall "must now find the money to pay off" both those loans and the $14.2M or so "due next year for principal and interest on the South Side property" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 10/2).
