Ilitch announces Huge plans for Red Wings Arena Project - Renderings Released

[emu steve]

It is great to see that there are offices and ground floor retail facing Woodward. I would hate to see a sea of parking lots leading up to the arena from the street. Also, good to see the Ilitches deciding to put something on those parking lots in front of Comerica Park. In addition, it's good to see them make use of Columbia Street. However, instead of an office building and ground floor retail, they should consider apartments and retail.

Overall, the plan is exciting and I hope the apartments and retail get built within a few years after the arena. Although the renderings aren't precise, the footprint of where things will go is promising.

I tried to go through the rendering and figure out what is going to be built, when, and what is fantasy stuff [[lot of renderings for outdoor cafes, etc. are unrealistic - outdoor cafes in Detroit in January?).

What I'd do or think will happen. It will be a slow start until 1916.

1). After the end of the baseball season, the sea of parking, etc. along Woodward to Temple gets cleared.

2). I'd start building the Comerica Park garage then [[fall, 2014) to replace the aforementioned surface parking.

3). Maybe after the 2015 baseball season even before the new arena is arising from the ground, I think we'll see the Comerica lots be built upon. Big thing here, is that the Comerica parking garage has to be done first. Can't clear too much surface parking without replacement parking.

4). In 1916 the arena is taking shape and this is when a hotel on the corner of Henry/Woodward is built. I believe I saw green space behind it and a parking garage up by Henry/Park. I can see three new parking garages: Near Comerica, along Henry by Park, and one on Montcalm near Clifford.

5). 2017 is when things 'attached' [[in quotes) to the arena are built such as the two mid-rise apartment buildings, any planned eateries, etc. and maybe the office building at Woodward/Temple.

6). 2017 some streetscaping, including new lighting, sidewalks, etc. throughout the area, clean up of Cass Park, etc. Maybe clearing areas which might not develop for the next 5 - 10 years but still are aesthetically important.

By July 2017 Phase I should be essentially complete and the Woodward from Elizabeth to Charlotte has been transformed with new buildings, M-1, new paving of Woodward, etc.

I see Phase II being more TBD depending on demand for housing, retail, etc. and private investors wanting to jump aboard. E.g., Brush Park is completely TBD and depends on employment growth in the CBD. The area near Grand River [[and the MC Casino) could be the site of a 5K soccer stadium if Dan Duggan gets a USL franchise. I see the area behind the Fox being completely speculative as it has no Woodward frontage and I'm not sure it is the best location for new housing and I'm not sure there is much demand there for new office space. Do remember there are other options for housing such as Gilbert who still could pump in a LOT of housing at the jail site [[and there could be other housing such as Woodward/Alfred or areas d west of the arena nearer Grand River.).