Could we see new Redwing Arena renderings wednesday [[4/9/14)?

[SpartanDawg]

From the article: "It’s not immediately clear when construction will begin, but Olympia says the arena will be ready for the 2016 NHL hockey season. "

"Olympia [...] submitted its pick to Detroit’s Downtown Development Authority for review. The DDA is scheduled to vote on the recommendation Wednesday at 3 p.m."

So they have their contractors picked and the DDA will vote tomorrow on it... they came out and said it will be ready in about 28 months from now... would we be able to see renderings if DDA approves their decision tomorrow?? They have to be coming soon if they expect to break ground by, I'm assuming, no later than this summer if they're going to be done in two years.


http://www.mlive.com/business/detroit/index.ssf/2014/04/olympia_picks_general_contract.html#incart_river_d efault

[emu steve]

Excellent. Thanks!

Now we need to see when the parking lots on Woodward from the Fisher to Temple will be gone. [I assume they are still being used for Tiger games].

[[I don't live in Detroit and won't be back until Summer so I'm dependent on this site and the media for details as to site prep.)

[emu steve]

BTW, I don't see any great problems with this project.

We have posted at length about Verizon Center and Nationals Park. Nationals Park was built in two years and they had to clear a lot of light industrial and other small building. I believe an asphalt silo was located over what is now the infield.

For the arena, my Tigers parking spot could be at center ice. Lol. I will gladly give it up. Think it was $10. Cheap.

[emu steve]

One thing which needs to be thought through:

Parking and people in the area. One poster indicated on game days the area near the townhouses is pretty bad as fans park on those surface lots on Woodward between Fisher and Temple.

Hopefully for Tigers and Lions games, folks will stay south of the Fisher [[including parking behind the Fox which seems a good thing to me) as the surface parking north of the Fisher will be gone in months.

And for hockey games, again, hopefully a lot of parking will be south of the Fisher.

Best if entrances are at Woodward/Henry [[for those say coming from the Hockeytown area), Henry/Park for those who park behind the Fox, and [[drum roll) the M-1 rail stop at Woodward/Sibley. Hopefully the M-1 rail stop will be 'at the door step' and folks won't have to walk along the sidewalks to get to the arena [[in D.C., Verizon Center is built over a subway stop).

Read in Crains that there will be a 500 vehicle garage nearby. Assume it is VIP or expensive parking but needed. I'd assume it would be at Henry and maybe Park[[?) with something nice at Woodward/Fisher.

[Danny]

There is two historical homes on Cass Ave. They can not be town down nor have the neighbors move. What to do about this problem?

[emu steve]

There is two historical homes on Cass Ave. They can not be town down nor have the neighbors move. What to do about this problem?

Cass and [[what) streets?

I'd assume that the arena, parking garage and team store [[if I separate building with eatery) will all be in the arena district of Park, Woodward, Fisher and Temple [[?).

I would assume that a parking garage [[500 vehicles) would be at Fisher, Park, & Henry.

In terms of aesthetics, the corner of Woodward, Fisher, & Henry becomes critical.

[emu steve]

Looks like things are moving along.

Ilitch bought more land on Woodward at Charlotte.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...arena-district

[rb336]

They have a very strong construction team. They have architects who are capable of daring design and utterly blah

[emu steve]

They have a very strong construction team. They have architects who are capable of daring design and utterly blah

Which arenas [[or stadiums) do you like or dislike [[and why ).

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

For arenas, I really like the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The Barclays Center is kind of ugly, but it is very original in design. My dream is that the facade of the new arena bears a bricky resemblance to the Olympia. For all my fond memories inside the Joe, it is damn ugly and lacking entirely in amenities compared to any other arena I've been in, including college arenas. The new arena will be an upgrade.

[SpartanDawg]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

[emu steve]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

Impressive looking!!

[emu steve]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

It looks like a Detroit high school building... The look is impressive.

I hope they come up with a nice design, like this one, and then do NOT ruin it by the adjacent blocks at the ends of the building:

1). I assume the arena will be from Henry to Sproat. Henry to Fisher is a key block. Will it be a 500-vehichle parking garage with a team store in front? If so, will the façade blend with the arena? Say the same look [[brick and glass) seen in the AmericanAirines Center?

2). What about the next 'transitional' block from Sproat to Temple? Will that be an office building and does it fit with the arena?

[mikeg19]

Looks like the construction group was approved yesterday, but gave no timeline on construction. There was no mention of further approvals to be made, but you'd think this thing is getting pretty close to shovels in the ground, especially if they plan on playing hockey there for the 16'-17' season.

[jt1]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

Given Ilitch's track record it is probably best to hope for the best and expect the worst. Remember, architects work for the person hiring them and take direction from them. If Ilitch wants to build a fortress style arena surrounded by parking, that is what the architects will need to deliver.

[rb336]

Which arenas [[or stadiums) do you like or dislike [[and why ).

I like Barclays because it is unique. very original design, unusual materials. AA because it is a modern take on traditional style, ditto for Lucas Oil

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

If Ilitch wants to build a fortress style arena surrounded by parking, that is what the architects will need to deliver.

That isn't what he did with Comerica Park. Yes, there is parking on the West side of the stadium, but there is hardly an overwhelming amount of parking there. I think it's a good looking stadium, and it blends in well with downtown. The Joe is the fortress, and he had nothing to do with it's construction. Since Ilitch has not done a lot of new construction in the city, I think it is difficult to support the case that he builds ugly or isolated fortresses. At best you can say that his record on the construction of new projects in the city is incomplete. I'm hopeful the arena will be attractive and well integrated into the reviving neighborhood.

[eliboyer]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

You're confusing the architect/designer with the construction/general contractor. I believe Olympia chose NBBJ to design the arena, here are their other projects, which I think look great as well...

http://www.nbbj.com/work/grid/sports/

[emu steve]

Given Ilitch's track record it is probably best to hope for the best and expect the worst. Remember, architects work for the person hiring them and take direction from them. If Ilitch wants to build a fortress style arena surrounded by parking, that is what the architects will need to deliver.

Pardon the flip remark, but builders do not play God. In general, they have only so much land and so much $ for the building [[construction), esp. if the land came via eminent domain as was true with Nationals Park.

Ilitch will be lucky as the "arena footprint" as shown in graphics is Fisher, Woodward, Temple, and about 2/3 of the adjacent land west from Park to Clifford/Cass. That gives him PLENTY of land to work with [[unlike Verizon which was shoe horned).

E.g., as far as baseball is concerned, MLB dictates where the field is placed because of the sun.

Getting to the new arena, I looked at the cost of American Airlines Center and it appears to have cost 100M more today' dollars.

In fairness to Ilitch, 450M I don't believe is big bucks for an arena today. This won't be the Taj Mahal of arenas.

[Zads07]

You're confusing the architect/designer with the construction/general contractor. I believe Olympia chose NBBJ to design the arena, here are their other projects, which I think look great as well...

http://www.nbbj.com/work/grid/sports/

You are slightly correct, they chose NBBJ, but also HKS.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/d..._red_wi_2.html

[emu steve]

BTW, here is the Wiki write up on AmericanAirlines Center:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AmericanAirlines_Center

My takeaway numbers: 559M [[2014 dollars) and 850K square feet.

Both are bigger than the Ilitch numbers.

[eliboyer]

You are slightly correct, they chose NBBJ, but also HKS.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/d..._red_wi_2.html

Thanks for the clarification Zads, I think they're both great choices.

[DetroitArtSeen]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

I would love to see a stadium looking anything similar to this gracing Woodward!

[MSUguy]

I hope they don't go retro we already have a couple retro stadiums as it is and the retro thing stop be interesting years ago. What's even more important to me is how this thing interacts with the city and in my opinion it doesn't get better than the Verizon Center in DC. Ground floor retail, no set back/plazas this is how an arena should interact with a city.

https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-...&ved=0CLEBEPwS

[mkhopper]

The company hired to design the new redwings arena was the same one who designed the American Airlines center in dallas... if we could get something like that i would be ecstatic!! it has the detroit feel to it but still modern enough. Honestly something like this would be perfect for Detroit and the surrounding area. really hoping for that beautiful brick look.

While the outside of the AA Center in Dallas looks great, it's the inside where the building really shines. I've been there for quite a few hockey games and a couple of concerts. Moving around the concourses is a breeze, not to mention you think that you're in a fancy hotel rather than a large arena.