The Pistons are in "serious talks to build a 60,000-square-foot practice facility north of Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit if a deal is worked out to relocate" the team from The Palace of Auburn Hills, according to sources cited by Shea & Pinho of CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS. Details such as specific location, time frame and cost "are yet to be determined." Pistons Owner Tom Gores and his aides "have been in talks for some time" with the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings. Talks have "accelerated since Gores hired" Pistons Sports & Entertainment Vice Chair Arn Tellem to "act as his point man for new business, civic and philanthropic investments in Detroit and Michigan last year." Both sides have "acknowledged that they're in at least preliminary talks to figure out how the Pistons could relocate from the Palace of Auburn Hills." Olympia Entertainment President & CEO Tom Wilson, whose company owns Little Caesars Arena, last month said that the sides "were in a 'talks-to-begin-talks' phase." Platinum Equity Principal Mark Barnhill said that those talks remain "unchanged." With construction of Little Caesars Arena entering its final year, the "pace of discussions could quicken." Full-scale negotiations will have to "sort out revenue splits, timing, suite leases, how the arena would reflect it being the Pistons home and not just a Red Wings arena, and hundreds of other details" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 9/30). In Detroit, Bill Shea reports for the Pistons to move to Little Caesars Arena, the venue "has to look like it's theirs." The look of the arena is "one of the three chief concerns a top Gores lieutenant said they have in relocation talks with the Ilitch family." Barnhill said that Gores also "wants to ensure he continues to get value for The Palace." Finally, Barnhill said that any relocation deal "also has to make sense for Pistons constituents, such as fans and corporate sponsors" (CRAIN'S DETROIT BUSINESS, 10/3 issue).
