What is going on at Red Wings arena site?

[David L]

Motor City Muckraker has before and after photos showing no progress since the ground breaking and postponement of zoning approval at the City Council. Construction was supposed to happen this winter. Anybody know what's up?

[jw101]

"Light sight clearing." They've been demolishing buildings and leveling the ground since september.

[SpartanDawg]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...l#incart_river

"New Detroit Red Wings arena development on track despite quiet winter"

[baughlieve]

Project Schedule - Construction Activity [[Target Start Dates)

Site Abatement / Demolition / Utility Relocate – September 2014
Steel Mill Order – January 2015
Mass Excavation / Deep Foundations – March 2015
MEP – May 2015
Superstructure / Enclosure – Summer 2015
Interior Partitions / Finishes – Fall 2015
Substantial Completion – Summer 2017

http://www.districtdetroit.com/pdf/D...PT_0909_14.pdf

This was the official schedule from Olympia. As you can see, the "real construction" or mass excavation doesn't start until March. If you take a look at the most recent photo by MCM's Steve Neavling, there's only one small building[[red building on the left of the photo, maybe it's the old Comet bar?) left to demolish. The zoning approval should get worked out, I think they will find a way to include Park Avenue or at least keep it standing for future redevelopment, while getting the right deal in place for parking space. I believe the major sticking point was reducing it from 1,200 to 600 spots.

Bid Pack 2: Mass Excavation Earthwork, Temporary Shoring/Retention Systems, Site Utilities/Underground Penetrations through the concrete foundations and ERS, Elevators/Escalators [[Arena/Building A & B/Garage):

Detroit Event Center Bid Pack 2 Outreach Event will be held January 5, 2015, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. [[Registration Opens at 8:30 a.m.) Motor City Casino and Hotel 2901 Grand River Ave. Detroit, MI.

http://www.tellusdetroit.com/busines...nt-122914.html

The Bid Pack 2 outreach meeting was held yesterday at Motor City Casino. That was part of the Steel Mill Order from the schedule above. A person who attended the meeting, said everything was on schedule and things should start rolling in the spring.

[baughlieve]

Over the next two years, the existing Charlotte substation, located just north of the upcoming 18,000-seat hockey arena at 2938 Park Ave., will undergo a major upgrade, while a second substation will be added in Midtown. In the spring, DTE Energy plans to open a substation in southwest Detroit to provide for a future bridge plaza as part of a planned border crossing between the United States and Canada.
http://www.dbusiness.com/core/pageto...%2F&mode=print

One more thing about the "utility relocation". DTE was behind the demolition of the former Temple Hotel and are in the process of adding a new substation in the area.

[mikeg19]

It looks like we are still 8-10 weeks out from any kind of "substantial" changes on the site. Although I'm wondering what kind of circus that is going to be with M1 and the arena going up on virtually the same turf. That's going to be a clusterfuck to avoid for awhile....

[Warrenite84]

Hope they put up a webcam or two so we can keep an eye on the progress when it starts rolling.

[bailey]

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...l#incart_river

"New Detroit Red Wings arena development on track despite quiet winter"

OMG... you mean Steve Neavling was shooting his mouth off without any actual knowledge of what was going on...or even attempting to find out? Shocked I tell ya, just SHOCKED!

[dtowncitylover]

This is the first arena thread I could find so I'm gonna post it here...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/c...marks/30975356

Would seniors really want to live next to an entertainment/arena district?

[emu steve]

It looks like we are still 8-10 weeks out from any kind of "substantial" changes on the site. Although I'm wondering what kind of circus that is going to be with M1 and the arena going up on virtually the same turf. That's going to be a clusterfuck to avoid for awhile....

I didn't read it carefully, but wasn't there an article this week on M-1 work including neighborhood advisory meetings to inform locals of activities?

One should be able to find out from that article when the 'circus' will come to the arena area.

[mikeg19]

So Illitch would have to sell the buildings to a private developer and then they would rehab the buildings? What's in it for Illitch then? He loses revenue from [[most likely) parking on the sites of those two buildings and has no income due to him selling to a private developer. Not sure why he would go along with that, unless someone else has a different viewpoint on that.

[emu steve]

Some of the 'iconic' photos of the housing bubble was signage of future condos there for some ridiculous sum [[150 - 200K????). I remember taking photos because of the 'shock value.'

Of course, the housing bubble burst...

[davep]

This picture has been making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter, but as far as I know, this is not accurate. The Red Wings' official rink project website states that Olympia Development's community outreach program won't be coming to the Northwest Activity Center until May, so this may or may not be a scam despite the fact that the address and phone number are accurate.

This was posted by George Malik at kuklaskorner.

[emu steve]

This was the official schedule from Olympia. As you can see, the "real construction" or mass excavation doesn't start until March. If you take a look at the most recent photo by MCM's Steve Neavling, there's only one small building[[red building on the left of the photo, maybe it's the old Comet bar?) left to demolish. The zoning approval should get worked out, I think they will find a way to include Park Avenue or at least keep it standing for future redevelopment, while getting the right deal in place for parking space. I believe the major sticking point was reducing it from 1,200 to 600 spots.


The Bid Pack 2 outreach meeting was held yesterday at Motor City Casino. That was part of the Steel Mill Order from the schedule above. A person who attended the meeting, said everything was on schedule and things should start rolling in the spring.

FWIW, might we see a few week delay to begin the excavation due to weather?

Allow the ground to thaw some?????

[davep]

I recently talked with someone who works for Barton Malow and he said they expect to begin excavation in late March. According to him, they will work on the foundation and pile drilling soon after that, but the steel framework won't be going up until summer time.

[emu steve]

I recently talked with someone who works for Barton Malow and he said they expect to begin excavation in late March. According to him, they will work on the foundation and pile drilling soon after that, but the steel framework won't be going up until summer time.

Excellent. It is always nice to see the steel framework go up. That's when folks start to get excited.

[mikeg19]

Not sure why some are wondering what's going on with this. The project is going to ramp up in the next 30-60 days like it was forecasted to. By fall I'd imagine we will be seeing a steel skeleton taking shape.

[emu steve]

Not sure why some are wondering what's going on with this. The project is going to ramp up in the next 30-60 days like it was forecasted to. By fall I'd imagine we will be seeing a steel skeleton taking shape.

I think the older posts in this thread were asking.

My post was more along the line: Will there be short delays because of the bad winter weather?

That said, if the excavation was delayed two weeks because of the weather it would be made up during the balance of spring.

[ghettopalmetto]

I think the older posts in this thread were asking.

My post was more along the line: Will there be short delays because of the bad winter weather?

That said, if the excavation was delayed two weeks because of the weather it would be made up during the balance of spring.

Yup! Frozen ground thaws out in two weeks, and time is made up just by saying-so. Piece of cake!

I'm sure the project has a well-versed construction manager who has put together a reasonable schedule--it's not like winter is an unanticipated condition in Detroit. At least the excavating contractor doesn't have to worry about undermining any adjacent buildings.

[Dan_the_man]

There's also the slight issue of zoning that has yet to be resolved. Can they start construction if the zoning changes haven't been approved?

[ghettopalmetto]

There's also the slight issue of zoning that has yet to be resolved. Can they start construction if the zoning changes haven't been approved?

You're talking about a city that ignored its own Register of Historic Sites in order to throw money at Mike Ilitch to demolish one of his properties. It's a miracle that nobody from the City of Detroit or DDA was injured by all the tripping over themselves at Ilitch's request.

Little throwaway regulations like Zoning certainly aren't going to stand in the way of Detroit giving Ilitch everything his little heart desires.

[emu steve]

Yup! Frozen ground thaws out in two weeks, and time is made up just by saying-so. Piece of cake!

I'm sure the project has a well-versed construction manager who has put together a reasonable schedule--it's not like winter is an unanticipated condition in Detroit. At least the excavating contractor doesn't have to worry about undermining any adjacent buildings.

Are you making a 'mountain out of a mole hill?' or just being snarky?

In a project with a 30 month timetable, there is plenty of time to make up lost time, even within the first, excavation, phase. Plenty of overtime...

I'm praying for warm weather in Detroit.

[ghettopalmetto]

Are you making a 'mountain out of a mole hill?' or just being snarky?

In a project with a 30 month timetable, there is plenty of time to make up lost time, even within the first, excavation, phase. Plenty of overtime...

Both.

I'm just glad that you're so intimately familiar with the construction process that you 1) know that the contractor is two weeks behind schedule and 2) that they will definitely be able to make up two weeks of time by the end of spring.

But, yeah, overtime. Which is perfectly reasonable when nearly half the cost of this thing is publicly funded, right?

And, rah rah, or something.

[emu steve]

Both.

I'm just glad that you're so intimately familiar with the construction process that you 1) know that the contractor is two weeks behind schedule and 2) that they will definitely be able to make up two weeks of time by the end of spring.

But, yeah, overtime. Which is perfectly reasonable when nearly half the cost of this thing is publicly funded, right?

And, rah rah, or something.

I 'watched' Nationals Park go up in D.C. and they saddled the contractors with a very, very tight window.

Happens all the time. Government leaders get stuck in gridlock, the start gets delayed, the workers have to cover for them by working ridiculous schedules.

P.S. aren't cost overruns on the Ilitches?

[emu steve]

Yup! Frozen ground thaws out in two weeks, and time is made up just by saying-so. Piece of cake!

I'm sure the project has a well-versed construction manager who has put together a reasonable schedule--it's not like winter is an unanticipated condition in Detroit. At least the excavating contractor doesn't have to worry about undermining any adjacent buildings.

Okay, GP, I'll reveal my method for forecasting the two weeks:

Normally, D.C. cherry blossoms are expected peak bloom roughly April 1.

This year the forecast is April 15.

Based on that bit of datum, I surmised that mother nature would be two weeks behind in D.C. and by extrapolation to Detroit also.

Bingo...