In Detroit, Joe Guillen reports Olympia Entertainment, the Ilitch family-owned company that leases Joe Louis Arena for Red Wings games, "paid its property tax bill on time this summer and has paid half" of a $5.2M settlement with the City of Detroit "related to cable TV revenues." Olympia "paid $411,600 in August for summer taxes." Property taxes "go toward" its $1M annual rent bill, which "is made in two payments." The property tax payment "left $88,400 remaining for rent that Olympia paid with its tax fee." The company "is expected to make similar payments totaling $500,000 in January to satisfy" the full $1M rent bill (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/13).
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY: In N.Y. Natalie O'Neill noted Madison Square Garden unveiled "a flashy new color-changing outdoor lighting system." The LED lighting, which is "changeable to align with arena events," glowed blue and red for last night's NHL Rangers home opener against the Maple Leafs. The arena will "flash blue and orange lights" for Knicks games and "seafoam green" for the WNBA Liberty (N.Y. POST, 10/12).
LET IT SNOW: In Salt Lake City, Mike Gorrell reports the state of Utah's "long-term commitment to provide top-flight training facilities for the country’s winter-sports athletes is continuing" with a $3M modernization project underway at Utah Olympic Park outside of Park City. The park's aerials training facility "is being revitalized over the winter after 22 years of consistent use." U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association Exec VP Luke Bodensteiner said, "This is a great project for us to collaborate on. Something like this doesn’t exist anywhere in the world" (SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 10/13).
