Red Wings Adding $95M In Upgrades To New Arena, Including Underground Practice Rink

The Red Wings have added $95M in design upgrades to their downtown arena project, including a practice rink to be built 40 feet underground, said team President Tom Wilson. The second sheet of ice will be situated underneath an outdoor plaza on the arena's west side. The plaza itself, featuring a large LED video board, and the arena's exterior shell that doubles as a projection screen, are among the design improvements officially approved by the team. As it stands now, the total project cost of $627M would be among the most expensive in major league history for a new arena. Barclays Center in Brooklyn had a total cost of $1B. The Red Wings’ costs could go higher as team Owner Mike Ilitch approves more upgrades to develop the NHL's finest facility, Wilson said. The Red Wings are covering those additional costs. The original estimate was $450M for an arena scheduled to open in September ‘17.