The ribbon was officially cut on Little Caesars Arena yesterday, and the $863M facility is "more than just a nice new rink," as it "sets a new standard for arenas everywhere," according to Nicholas Cotsonika of NHL.com. Olympia Entertainment President & CEO Tom Wilson said Ilitch Holdings President & CEO Chris Ilitch "kept his foot on the gas through this entire process." Wilson: "I told him months and months ago, 'If you don't do another thing, I think you've got the best arena in the country.'" Cotsonika noted there are "10 things" that set Little Caesars Arena apart: The Via concourse, LED grid, scoreboard, sightlines, locker room, family lounge, practice facility, finishes, displays and jewel skin, a "towering, 600-foot-long screen." Cotsonika: "Wait till you see it" (NHL.com, 9/6). Ilitch said that so far, 94% of contracts "awarded for the arena and the District Detroit ... have gone to Michigan-based companies." He said that has resulted in nearly $700M being "pumped into the local economy." In Detroit, Williams & Aguilar in a front-page piece report nearly $475M in contracts -- 62% of the total -- were "awarded to companies based in Detroit." Meanwhile, the arena's opening act, Kid Rock, has "come under fire for his conservative politics and former embrace of the Confederate flag." Asked about the Kid Rock controversy, Ilitch said that he "'can’t control what any artist does or says' and stressed the long dedication he and his family have shown to Detroit and its residents." Ilitch: "I will always demand our companies strive to keep doing right by Detroit" (DETROIT NEWS, 9/6).
