What is going on at Red Wings arena site?

[emu steve]

Guys, don't h8te me [[and I do apologize for using another D.C. example but it is so illustrious that I have to):

Here is a 15 year study of crime in D.C. by the Urban Institute. They tracked crime over that period over many D.C. neighborhoods, including several GERMANE to the discussion of what sports facilities can or can not do for neighborhoods. Lot of discussion of "SouthEast-Navy Yard" - home of Nationals Park and also Chinatown, etc. [[the Gallery Place subway stop), home of the Verizon Center [[arena). Mount Vernon is the home of the D.C. Convention Center, further north from Verizon Center.

"The distinction of having the largest drop in crime goes to the fast-changing Southeast-Navy Yard neighborhood, where violent crime fell from 59 crimes for every 1,000 residents to six. The Chinatown, Mount Vernon and downtown areas also saw a dramatic decrease during that time, experiencing 33 fewer crimes per 1,000 residents."

The entire article has more detail for those curious...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/l...n-d-c/?hpid=z3

And a nice paragraph about the area near Nationals Park that Bham1982 and I debate [[until the cows come home):

"The Urban Institute attributes Navy Yard’s crime drop to the major development in the neighborhood. In the 90s, the neighborhood was a troubled industrial area. But starting around 2000, there was a concerted effort to redevelop the area and new businesses and Nationals Park came, transforming Navy Yard into the commercial and residential area it is today. Between 2000 and 2012, the average family income there increased 274 percent and the population grew from 1,825 residents to 2,800 in 2012."

[EastsideAl]

Of course, both of those areas have undergone extensive redevelopment, so the population has also changed quite a bit. In the case of the Navy Yard area, development was in some sense pioneered by the stadium, but the big motivating force was displacement of outmoded industrial buildings in response to residential pressure from the north. What local residents there were were mostly displaced by development and thus were not much helped by improved policing or any drops in crime.

The massive development in the Penn Quarter/Gallery Place/Chinatown/Mt. Vernon Square area was driven by changes in the Washington area economy and a shortage of premium office and residential space in the downtown area, and an intersection of Metro lines. It almost certainly would have happened with or without the arena.

[emu steve]

Of course, both of those areas have undergone extensive redevelopment, so the population has also changed quite a bit. In the case of the Navy Yard area, development was in some sense pioneered by the stadium, but the big motivating force was displacement of outmoded industrial buildings in response to residential pressure from the north. What local residents there were were mostly displaced by development and thus were not much helped by improved policing or any drops in crime.

The massive development in the Penn Quarter/Gallery Place/Chinatown/Mt. Vernon Square area was driven by changes in the Washington area economy and a shortage of premium office and residential space in the downtown area, and an intersection of Metro lines. It almost certainly would have happened with or without the arena.

I agree and disagree with your two scenarios:

[[Agree) Re: Penn Quarter/Gallery Place, etc. I do agree that area [['old downtown') was ripe for development but Verizon Center expedited it. When something like Verizon Center is rumored, commercial land folks flock to it like bees to honey. Land speculation in the area begins like crazy. We saw that in and around the Detroit arena where the Temple Hotel was offered for 3.7M whereas without the arena, it had minimal value.

[[Disagree) Re: Residential pressures around Nationals Park. As I remember it [[and I followed it almost as closely as the new Detroit arena), once the Nats came to town and it appeared 2006 that Navy Yard metro station area was going to be the site, land speculation became incredible. There is a LOT of money in D.C. ready to move for land, etc. In that respect demand to housing units, hotels, commercial office space was created where it did not previously exist. Commercial land folks bought land and then tried to figure out what to build. I remember as soon as rumors started circulating of building a new stadium and sites were identified [[Navy Yard, NoMa, and L'Enfant Plaza) I checked out the areas. Folks starting buying up land in that area like crazy once word was the stadium site would be Navy Yard [[but even before the D.C. council approved the building of the stadium).

These issues are seldom 'black and white' hence the analogy of 'pouring gas on a fire' as to what causes an area to literally 'catch fire. That analogy presumes that there was a fire but something caused it to take off.

[SetecX]

I did a new flyover today http://wingsarena.tumblr.com

[animatedmartian]

I did a new flyover today http://wingsarena.tumblr.com

Nice update. Also noticeable is the DTE substation activity to the north.

[Dbest]

The quality of the footage is great, the way it balances is like it's on a tripod in the sky. I'm assuming this is a higher end device?

[SpartanDawg]

The quality of the footage is great, the way it balances is like it's on a tripod in the sky. I'm assuming this is a higher end device?

you'd be surprised the quality of drone you can get these days for a reasonable price

the dj phantom III runs for about 1200 bucks [[not cheap by any means, but still) and it is incredible quality. The camera shoots 4k video [[!!) and incredible stills and the drone itself has quite an impressive range

[SetecX]

The quality of the footage is great, the way it balances is like it's on a tripod in the sky. I'm assuming this is a higher end device?

This is the unit I am using
http://www.yuneec.com/products/aerialuav/q500plus/

Its a consumer unit that just happens to fly very stable and have a really smooth gimbal. Combine that with it locking onto 15+ gps satellites and it is like pinpoint accurate.

I sent it up for that building implosion and had it sit in one spot for about 5 minutes. I don't think it moved at all from the spot it was at. Like being on a tripod, but in the sky.

[MSUguy]

The excavation is complete for the massive hole that will become the lower bowl and ice rink for the Detroit Red Wings' new arena, and the steel and concrete skeleton of the facility is now beginning to take shape.

Work on the $532 million arena and events center is on schedule and will continue through the winter to ensure the building opens by September 2017, according to Olympia Development of Michigan.

Olympia is the real estate arm of Red Wings owner Mike and Marian Ilitch's $3.3 billion business holdings that include the Red Wings, Detroit Tigers and the Little Caesars pizza chain.
An estimated 488,000 cubic yards of soil was excavated in recent months for the below-grade bowl, and hundreds of deep pier foundations are being drilled and filled with concrete through September, Olympia said.

The concrete walls for elevator shafts also are being erected, and installation of the foundation walls of the bowl perimeter will begin within days.
The steel frame of the arena will begin to go up in late fall, Olympia said.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article...arena-complete

I was wondering what those square structures could be in the last pics posted, elevator shafts make sense.

[SetecX]

Exciting. Looking forward to watching it evolve. I'll be doing as many drone flyovers as I can once things start rolling.

[emu steve]

I was wondering what those square structures could be in the last pics posted, elevator shafts make sense.

I wonder how winter will play into this?

Wonder when it will be 'topped off' [[if that is the term)? Next summer???

In 12 months [[Labor Day 2016) the arena will be topped off and Woodward will be mill and paved or whatever exactly they plan to do with it... ????

I wouldn't expect to see construction of a hotel by Woodward/Fisher until in 2017.

I believe the Ilitches are committed to an office building at Sproat/Woodward [[I think) and that could be constructed AFTER all of the arena construction is done [[isn't that area used for construction site materials, equipment, etc.?).

[SetecX]

Live cam of the construction

http://www.districtdetroit.com/live-web-cam/

[emu steve]

Nice update. Also noticeable is the DTE substation activity to the north.

It is amazing how much other adjacent space is being utilized for the construction activities.

I'd assume the last to be developed is the block from Sproat to Temple and that won't happen until most or all of the arena construction is finished.

Hope to see more videos. I wouldn't mind even a wider panorama showing more toward Temple and further West toward Cass. In time, more toward the Fisher when things start happening between Henry and the Fisher [[late 2016? or early 2017?). I wonder if the Ilitches have an interest in having a parking deck there finished for the 2017 BASEBALL season? My guess that construction of the parking garage won't begin until the new arena is mostly completed. I'd guess it would be difficult to have too much construction happening so close to each other.

Great video.

[emu steve]

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...dout/72008000/

when end I was in Detroit in July I saw these houses which are in the footprint defined by Cass, Temple, Fisher, and Woodward.

[MSUguy]

Big plans revealed for Temple Street near new arena





Owners of the Red Wings want to double the size of a street near the massive new arena being built in Cass Corridor and hinted they also hope to redevelop three empty buildings near the arena.

But the fate of three other buildings seem much more unclear.

The Wings’ owners would like to widen Temple Street between Cass and Woodward avenues. That stretch of Temple is one block north of the 650,000-square feet new sports/entertainment venue under construction. It’s slated to open in 2017.

Representatives for Olympia gave a presentation to the advisory board Thursday that indicated Olympia hopes to redevelop three buildings near Temple and Cass, said Amy Elliott Bragg, president of the nonprofit Preservation Detroit. She attended the Thursday meeting. One of the buildings is 2900 Cass, on the northeast corner of Temple and Cass, which is next to the Temple Bar. The other two buildings mentioned were the former Hotel Fort Wayne, later renamed American Hotel, on the northwest corner of Temple and Cass, and the former Alhambra apartments on Temple. All three of the buildings are on the north side of Temple.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/bus...rena/72058698/

I like that they're more plans to save buildings in the area. Not sure how I feel about widening Temple. I guess on some level it makes sense that it matches the other parts in the neighborhood.

[mikeg19]

Nice to see they are leaning toward renovating Hotel Americana, and widening Temple makes sense. Although they will obviously be demolishing buildings on the south side of the road. That Southwest corner on Temple and Cass though, man oh man, is that going to be some prime real estate. I wonder who owns those lots. Also, does Illitch own the Hotel Americana? Doesn't seem likely they'd be making redevelopment claims when they don't even own the building.

[emu steve]

Nice to see they are leaning toward renovating Hotel Americana, and widening Temple makes sense. Although they will obviously be demolishing buildings on the south side of the road. That Southwest corner on Temple and Cass though, man oh man, is that going to be some prime real estate. I wonder who owns those lots. Also, does Illitch own the Hotel Americana? Doesn't seem likely they'd be making redevelopment claims when they don't even own the building.

IF Ilitches can do half do this I will feel like a 21st century prophet.

like Old Testamnet prophets who were treated poorly, I've taken a lot of hits for suggesting that Ilitches want to do MUCH, MUCH MORE than simply develop a 100 yard perimeter around the arena.

i have been posting that TEMPLE becomes a critical street and buildings on them become part of an exciting Cass Park and Masonic Temple area and extending to Woodward.

[123456789]

Can someone explain why the street needs to be wider? Typically in a walker friendly area you'd want smaller streets no?

[subsidized]

Can someone explain why the street needs to be wider? Typically in a walker friendly area you'd want smaller streets no?

I'm guessing that since 99% of Red Wing game attendees are suburbanites, Temple would be the quickest way to funnel traffic out to the expressway... Because god forbid any other business get a shot at some of that game day money.

[emu steve]

I'm guessing that since 99% of Red Wing game attendees are suburbanites, Temple would be the quickest way to funnel traffic out to the expressway... Because god forbid any other business get a shot at some of that game day money.

That would be my guess about getting traffic moving including vehicles from Southbound Woodward up to Temple and onto Cass for parking at one of several new parking decks including one on Henry.

Cass will see a lot of new traffic.

[WPitonya]

Can someone explain why the street needs to be wider? Typically in a walker friendly area you'd want smaller streets no?

While I disagree with widening Temple, I do see why they want to do it; widening Temple will make it a very important cross street cutting directly from Woodward, through their new district, and directly to the Motor City Casino.

[gumby]

I am fine with them demolishing all of the buildings on the south side of Temple and widening it between Cass and Woodward if it meant saving those 3 buildings. The only one that even looks good is the old Aldean Apts and even that is somewhat plain.

[emu steve]

I am fine with them demolishing all of the buildings on the south side of Temple and widening it between Cass and Woodward if it meant saving those 3 buildings. The only one that even looks good is the old Aldean Apts and even that is somewhat plain.

I agree with you.

detroitbob and I have been cheerleading to save the Alhamabra as well as the American Hotel [[and the other building at Cass and Temple).

I just hope the Ilitches can get these buildings and other ancillary buildings like the couple of houses on Cass near Temple.

if the building owners want a fortune, then who knows if things will get done.

[Gistok]

Temple already is a 6 lane boulevard from the Lodge [[Motor City Casino) to Third Ave.... from there it shrinks down to a narrower roadway eastward past the Masonic Temple to Cass Ave. From Cass the final 2 blocks eastward narrow down again to a 2 lane roadway.

So it would make sense to take down those buildings south of Temple, which aren't doing much anyway. One of them does have a nice facade, but that never stopped a demolition.

They would likely make it a 6 lane boulevard all the way from 3rd eastward to Woodward, which would involve shaving off a little bit of land from the north side of the Metropolitan Technology Center property [[building wouldn't be touched), and a little bit off the north end of Cass Park.

This would make it easier for patrons at the Arena to basically go westward... to the Lodge, or [[as would be the Ilitch's hope) to MotorCity Casino afterwards.

As for that article mentioning that the buildings north of Temple "could" be fixed up.... hehehe I love that word "could". The Ilitch's "could" have fixed up and developed the United Artists complex downtown.... they "could" have restored the Blenheim Apartments... they "could" have fixed up the Life Building on Park.... they "could" have have built something behind the Fine Arts Facade on W. Adams... they "could" have done something with the Royal Order of the Moose Building.....

When talking about the Ilitch's... lets not mix up the meaning of the words.... "could" and "would".....

[gvidas]

Gistok, great point. Maybe if this happens some of the magic sauce will spill a little bit west too, and Temple-Grand River-M10 won't be such a nightmare of an intersection.

I imagine so, since it's really hard to get from westbound temple to motor city right now.