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

[cman710]

Overall, the design plans exceed my expectations, and I really hope that they come to fruition. This article, however, mentions that there will be some kind of internal streetscape:

Glass covered streetscape: The area between the seating bowl and the outer buildings will be covered by glass to create a “covered via,” or interior streetscape, filled with trees, retail, dining and other amenities. Bridges and walkways will connect the outer buildings to the seating bowl through this covered interior street.

Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, said the covered via will be open year-round, not just on game or event days, and could play host to a variety of daytime or nighttime events. Like any good urban street, it will be designed to be walkable, with flexible programming, and to be “a very festive area. ... The net effect is a very energetic, very exciting space,” Ilitch said.

This is a bizarre element to include an otherwise very urban-friendly plan. The "indoor via" sounds to me like an indoor shopping mall made to look like a street. While this could be fantastic in the winter, it will either [[a) take people away from the actual streets outside, harming the atmosphere there, or [[b) end up mostly empty on non-game days.

On the whole, though, this is a small concern because the plan sounds great.

[Mackinaw]

Overall, the design plans exceed my expectations, and I really hope that they come to fruition. This article, however, mentions that there will be some kind of internal streetscape:

This is a bizarre element to include an otherwise very urban-friendly plan. The "indoor via" sounds to me like an indoor shopping mall made to look like a street. While this could be fantastic in the winter, it will either [[a) take people away from the actual streets outside, harming the atmosphere there, or [[b) end up mostly empty on non-game days.

On the whole, though, this is a small concern because the plan sounds great.

It's a bit confusing, but it seems to me that the 'deconstructed arena' means that the souvenir stands and concessions will be in out-buildings along a covered alley. Great concept. Perhaps like Ford Field's Hudson Warehouse side. That said, I am not understanding how this works with security and ticketing. If you are supposed to pop out onto the alley for food and gear, and said alley is publicly accessible, are you allowed back in? Will that be onerous?

By covered streets I am guessing something a bit mall-like, or, in John Gallagher's mind [[and I don't particularly blame him, upon close inspection of the renderings), galleria-like. You know, all Milanese and what not This doesn't bother me too much if this galleria is going to constitute the arena concourse. Again, though, some of the assertions that this is going to be public space still kind of make me scratch my head.

[emu steve]

It's a bit confusing, but it seems to me that the 'deconstructed arena' means that the souvenir stands and concessions will be in out-buildings along a covered alley. Great concept. Perhaps like Ford Field's Hudson Warehouse side. That said, I am not understanding how this works with security and ticketing. If you are supposed to pop out onto the alley for food and gear, and said alley is publicly accessible, are you allowed back in? Will that be onerous?

By covered streets I am guessing something a bit mall-like, or, in John Gallagher's mind [[and I don't particularly blame him, upon close inspection of the renderings), galleria-like. You know, all Milanese and what not This doesn't bother me too much if this galleria is going to constitute the arena concourse. Again, though, some of the assertions that this is going to be public space still kind of make me scratch my head.

BTW, I've tried to disaggregate the rendering and this is what I got [[using that beautiful drawing with the Red Wing logo on the roof of the arena):

Upper right hand corner could be an Ilitch-built office building at Woodward/Temple.

Next, the Wings' offices.

Next, the Wings' store.

Next, lower right hand corner, appears to be maybe general retail or food or ?

Next, there are two perpendicular buildings which appear to be a hotel [[not an Ilitch-built building).

Next, adjacent to the hotel are green space and a parking garage.

Next, moving north from the hotel are two Ilitch-built residentials [[mid-rise) 'attached' to the arena.

Next, immediately north of the parking garage are connected buildings. I have no idea what? who?

Next, moving to the left side of the drawing, I see a plaza with some unidentified buildings behind them. What? Who?

Next, I see parking and the two big buildings folks here want to save.

Next, at the very top of the drawing is some housing? What? Who? [[I'd assume that is an artist's creation and not something Ilitches plan on building but who knows...).

[cman710]

It's a bit confusing, but it seems to me that the 'deconstructed arena' means that the souvenir stands and concessions will be in out-buildings along a covered alley. Great concept. Perhaps like Ford Field's Hudson Warehouse side. That said, I am not understanding how this works with security and ticketing. If you are supposed to pop out onto the alley for food and gear, and said alley is publicly accessible, are you allowed back in? Will that be onerous?

By covered streets I am guessing something a bit mall-like, or, in John Gallagher's mind [[and I don't particularly blame him, upon close inspection of the renderings), galleria-like. You know, all Milanese and what not This doesn't bother me too much if this galleria is going to constitute the arena concourse. Again, though, some of the assertions that this is going to be public space still kind of make me scratch my head.

Perhaps it will be open to the public aside from certain hours before and after a game? Even then, though, they would need some way to prevent people without tickets from getting into the seating area.