Little Caesars Arena

[Atticus]

Air Canada Centre, the Leafs & Raptors Arena, has re-sold naming rights to Scotiabank for a whopping 800 million over 20 yrs. You could almost finance building a new arena for that amount. I wonder if Gores is thinking he should have charged Ilitch a little more?

https://www.thestar.com/sports/2017/...ank-arena.html

Coors got the best stadium naming rights deal of all time in Coors Field, where the Colorado Rockies hosted the Detroit Tigers this week.

The deal was Coors paid a flat $15million for the ballpark naming rights in perpetuity. Even better for Coors, is the Rockies just extended their lease for another 30 years.

[emu steve]

Opening ceremony today. I didn't get an invite [[Lol) so I'll have to wait until next time I'm in Detroit and buy a tix.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...ngs/105283950/

And it looks like a brand new hockey arena...

https://twitter.com/LCA_Detroit/status/905108401801318401

[1953]

I am pretty shocked you didn't get invited emu_steve. You have certainly earned it more than any member on this forum.

1953

[emu steve]

I am pretty shocked you didn't get invited emu_steve. You have certainly earned it more than any member on this forum.

1953

I tend to really like what I like [[e.g., pizza, stromboli, etc.) and strongly dislike what I dislike [[salmon).

On a lot of things, no middle ground, sit on the fence baloney [[like politicians), "I like it but, I wish they had, OTOH, that doesn't really detract too much... Still, good, but not perfect."

I assume LCA is now officially the most beautiful arena on earth.

I have NEVER wavered on the location, beauty, design, amenities, etc. of this arena.

Can't be more decisive than that...

[emu steve]

I can't help it. This is email from a friend. [[He is not a Detroiter nor thinks like a DY poster):

"Nice place. Make sure you’re eating a Little Caesars’ pizza that night in celebration of the Grand Opening of the arena! �� "

[emu steve]

And another of my friends. She emailed:

"I wish I were there"

Everyone loves LCA except for Detroiters, I guess... Lol...

[ABetterDetroit]

And another of my friends. She emailed:

"I wish I were there"

Everyone loves LCA except for Detroiters, I guess... Lol...

Not surprising at all Steve.

People who know you say extremely positive things about LCA immediately when communicating with you.

What's going on is a basic survival strategy to get you to move on and converse about any other subject besides the LCA. It's a common tactic when dealing with obsessed people.

[Maof]

Not surprising at all Steve.

People who know you say extremely positive things about LCA immediately when communicating with you.

What's going on is a basic survival strategy to get you to move on and converse about any other subject besides the LCA. It's a common tactic when dealing with obsessed people.

The way I'm reading your response, it's not very nice.

[ABetterDetroit]

The way I'm reading your response, it's not very nice.

You are right. I was to harsh. My apologies to Steve.

[emu steve]

Not surprising at all Steve.

People who know you say extremely positive things about LCA immediately when communicating with you.

What's going on is a basic survival strategy to get you to move on and converse about any other subject besides the LCA. It's a common tactic when dealing with obsessed people.

Funny thing:

The first person knows almost nothing about LCA [[maybe that Detroit is getting a new arena) and the second person knows nothing, until I sent her the Twitter link.

Never discuss it except when debating it here with my 'other' friends.

[southen]

Wait, so someone you know gave a one sentence comment on a twitter link to a photo and you think that says something about how people on here and in Detroit view the arena differently?

Not to counter your argument entirely but I took my mother out to lunch last week and as we drove by it she said "neat."

[emu steve]

Wait, so someone you know gave a one sentence comment on a twitter link to a photo and you think that says something about how people on here and in Detroit view the arena differently?

Not to counter your argument entirely but I took my mother out to lunch last week and as we drove by it she said "neat."

Sure.

One of these friends might have known that Detroit is getting a new arena. Not sure. Never discussed with him. The other had no idea. Doesn't know what LCA, "The Joe" or any of that.

To them it is 'tabula rosa' - they see an absolutely beautiful building. Something which makes D.C.'s Verizon Center look old and plain.

To people here LCA conjures up bad memories, disappointment, and dare I say downright contempt and maybe hatred for the Ilitches.

I have never seen the negative feelings about a private citizen here in D.C. area to equate what I see on this forum over Mr. I.

In a sense the more time I spend on this forum the more I appreciate D.C. and the area metro area. We don't have these brutal battles that are very evident here on this DY forum. We did have some problems in the past [[when Marion Berry was mayor of D.C.) but since then the 'walls' between the city and suburbs have fallen and now folks leave the suburbs for the city. Just as likely that a single 25 year old female will choose to live in D.C. as say Arlington.

EVERY metro issues have to deal with essentially the same set of issues be it schools, roads, public transit, public safety, employment, taxes, land use, sports and public entertainment.

"Tale of Two Cities".

Southen, if you think I'm blowing smoke. Take a map of the D.C. subway system and overlay it with a minor civil division map. Our subway system includes 3 'states' - D.C., Md and Va. 4 counties, 2 in Md and 2 in Va. A few cities not in counties, like Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax.

Do you think S.E. MI. could build a 10 mile light rail system starting in Oakland County and ending up in downtown Detroit.

Not a chance... And I'm not talking $.

I'll repeat myself. The level of cooperation between all of the local governments in the D.C. area [[think around the Capital Beltway) is unprecedented.

[clubboss]

I am pretty shocked you didn't get invited emu_steve. You have certainly earned it more than any member on this forum.

1953

That's not saying much considering the tone of the majority of the posts contained within this thread.

[401don]

Like most folks, I didn't expect much retail to materialize in the new arena, especially by the opening [[Chris Ilitch says they are still talking to lots of retailers). I did think there might be at least one retail store other than a team souvenir shop, which of course every arena has. Did I miss anything looking at all these preview articles/videos?

[Gistok]

I hope you all will forgive me for being the turd in the most beautiful punch bowl on earth....

I was there in 1977 at the ribbon cutting of the Renaissance Center. It was a magical place... Oz coming to Motown. I gaped at the sheer volume and amazement of the place... the stores... world class among them... Ungaro... Givency... Cartier.... etc. The spectacular atirium with the pods and pools and the sight of 5 skyscrapers looming above the glass ceiling... with exterior elevators wowing everyone who came to visit this place of amazement.

Then 7 years later... all the high end retailers were gone... many of the stores were empty. Even a half billion in improvements, that added a glass enclosed Winter Garten open to the water vistas... Still, the polish was off the now $1 billion Land of Oz.

Then in the 1980s... Trappers Alley opened up... beautiful vertical marketplace teeming with vitality as 5 levels of stores, boutiques and restaurants were bringing in the people... with the sound of the fudge makers singing their sirens song in the distance. Then 7 years later... nothing... it was a ghost town of its' former self.

Then 1999-2002 The stadia district was rising... Comerica Park offered magnificent views of the city, rides for the kids... and restaurants and other activity. Ford Field was built into a former massive historic Hudson's warehouse... plenty of potential there too for expansion of other uses... but years later... besides Baseball and Football... the area is pretty dead.

Now we have a new land of Oz... and people will ooh and aah about it, and say that the Ilitch's finally came thru. But surrounded with a sea of parking [[as was Comerica and Ford Field)... will the area be this exciting and "festive" in 7 years?

Time will tell...

[1953]

"I have never seen the negative feelings about a private citizen here in D.C. area to equate what I see on this forum over Mr. I."

Maybe DC was fortunate enough not to have one man who demolished so much of their city in the name of "development." We're certainly not alone in having prominent citizens we despise for their local actions. St. Louis has one, I know:

http://www.stlamerican.com/news/poli...cc4c002e0.html

[emu steve]

Video boards...

And the intermission music was great. Like wow, the beer barrel polka...

I wondered if the millennials at the game knew what the hell is the beer barrel polka...

[rex]

tGD in november

[emu steve]

I hope you all will forgive me for being the turd in the most beautiful punch bowl on earth....

I was there in 1977 at the ribbon cutting of the Renaissance Center. It was a magical place... Oz coming to Motown. I gaped at the sheer volume and amazement of the place... the stores... world class among them... Ungaro... Givency... Cartier.... etc. The spectacular atirium with the pods and pools and the sight of 5 skyscrapers looming above the glass ceiling... with exterior elevators wowing everyone who came to visit this place of amazement.

Then 7 years later... all the high end retailers were gone... many of the stores were empty. Even a half billion in improvements, that added a glass enclosed Winter Garten open to the water vistas... Still, the polish was off the now $1 billion Land of Oz.

Then in the 1980s... Trappers Alley opened up... beautiful vertical marketplace teeming with vitality as 5 levels of stores, boutiques and restaurants were bringing in the people... with the sound of the fudge makers singing their sirens song in the distance. Then 7 years later... nothing... it was a ghost town of its' former self.

Then 1999-2002 The stadia district was rising... Comerica Park offered magnificent views of the city, rides for the kids... and restaurants and other activity. Ford Field was built into a former massive historic Hudson's warehouse... plenty of potential there too for expansion of other uses... but years later... besides Baseball and Football... the area is pretty dead.

Now we have a new land of Oz... and people will ooh and aah about it, and say that the Ilitch's finally came thru. But surrounded with a sea of parking [[as was Comerica and Ford Field)... will the area be this exciting and "festive" in 7 years?

Time will tell...

Gistok, I understand the point you are making BUT...

I'm going to draw an analogy to the Baltimore Inner Harbor. In short, it was the hottest thing going until the novelty wore off. Is the Inner Harbor novel to someone who has been there 25 or 50 times?

That could have happened to the Ren Cen.

Now, as far as the stadia district. I was downtown both Saturday [[for the first hockey game at LCA) and Sunday for the Lions' game.

The difference, as I see it, is that fans do not tire of the GAME. Maybe Ford Field will show its age in 25 years, but it is still Lions/NFL football. If the game is still good, fans will be there...

In sports, every season is unique. Every football game is unique [[I saw EMU lose a double OT game Saturday and the Lions lose their game on the last play, after a reversal). It's not like seeing the same Shakespearean play play 3, 4, or 5 times or the Inner Harbor for the 26th time.

And as far as what the area will look like in 7 years: TBD. And I'm not being snarky, but I don't think Chris Ilitch himself knows.

I did see Saturday night how hard it was to find a parking space.

Who knows... Maybe, they put up a couple more parking garages and free the rest of the surface parking for other things.

Or maybe Detroit gets 1st rate mass transit. [[not counting on this, though).