The Red Wings on Thursday broke ground on a new $450M arena "intended to be one of the sparks" for a 45-block, $650M district that would "create up to 2,000 new residential units, dozens of retailers and offices," according to Louis Aguilar of the DETROIT NEWS. Hundreds of people "filed into a makeshift arena-like space with walls of stacked red shipping containers." At the "center was a stage bordered with big banners with names of current Detroit landmarks along with some of names of 'new neighborhoods' that could be created within five years." The arena is "slated to open" in the summer of '17. Red Wings Owners Mike and Marian Ilitch have "vowed to speed up" the other $200M in mixed-use development so that "much of it can be complete around the time the arena opens." The Ilitches were "not present" at Thursday's launch (
DETROIT NEWS, 9/26).
FOLLOW THE LEADER: In Grand Rapids, David Muller notes Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and City Council President Pro-Tem George Cushingberry Jr. "were all on hand Thursday to mark the beginning of the project, which is seen as a lynchpin in downtown Detroit's ongoing development." The development is to be funded with a mix of $365.5M in "private investment and an estimated public investment" of $284.5M. The sports and entertainment center and accompanying residential, retail and office district is "getting public money primarily through tax increment financing." But some have "argued that using public money to help pay for the project amounts to corporate welfare." Both Mike Ilitch and Snyder "disagreed with this sentiment when asked about it by the media after the event." Ilitch said that "large developments have been done this way throughout the U.S. for the last two decades" (GRAND RAPIDS PRESS, 9/26).
JOB CREATION: The Ilitches in materials provided at the event said that the "ring of shipping containers, which were festooned with imagery for the event, will be used throughout the project as part of an 'itinerant public art exhibition.'" In Detroit, Bill Shea reported the project, "called The District Detroit, is funded with a mix of public and private money" and is "expected to create 8,300 construction and construction-related jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs" (CRAINSDETROIT.com, 9/25).
GOOD FOR THE CITY: Red Wings LW Henrik Zetterberg said, "It's going to be pretty cool when it's all said and done. We're excited to go there, but at the same time we're going to miss this place. Downtown is definitely going to be a lot better and we're looking forward to it." Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said, "I'm ecstatic for Detroit and for the Red Wings, but mainly for the City of Detroit just because the owner is willing to finance something like this and help rebuild the city" (MLIVE.com, 9/25).
