What is going on at Red Wings arena site?

**EGrant** · May-29-19, 10:36 AM

Olympia has skated by on excuses and the renovation of the Fox for a long time. But the District development promised too much, took too much govt. funding and delivered almost nothing. The giant straw that broke the media's back.

**401don** · May-29-19, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

Olympia has skated by on excuses and the renovation of the Fox for a long time. But the District development promised too much, took too much govt. funding and delivered almost nothing. The giant straw that broke the media's back.

What I find amazing is that they didn't rehab or build a single residential building. Just from a PR standpoint it would have went a long way and bought more time.

**Luke09** · May-29-19, 12:19 PM

Land banking is a big problem throughout Detroit, and other major cities. Individuals and investment corporations need to be held accountable for holding blighted properties for an extending period of time with no improvements made.
Side note. I have really noticed a big increase in blight removal in neighborhoods surrounding New Center, just in the last couple of months.

**archfan** · May-30-19, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by Zads07

Let's not forget that Nolan was writing columns about how he didn't like City Council delaying a vote because it would hurt the progress of the District Detroit.

When presented with facts, and a lot of that has become more common know with the HBO doc and Louis Aguilar's long, enterprise piece in his own newspaper, it appears he's changed his course.

No need to criticize him for making his own decisions and opinions on changing his mind upon learning of the facts. I think that's becoming less common in our society so it's great to see this change.

Who knows if the piece will actually spur anything, but it's great to see it being written.

If Finley didn't know the facts, he wasn't doing his job. What's more likely is that he knew the facts, but ignored them - probably because he any investment looked good at the time.

I think the HBO special gave cover for Detroit journalists to finally call out a local icon.

**sirrealone** · May-30-19, 05:48 AM

Originally Posted by archfan

I think the HBO special gave cover for Detroit journalists to finally call out a local icon.

I think you hit the nail on the head. Nobody wanted to take the first shot.

**Zads07** · July-01-19, 06:46 PM

Surprise, surprise, the deadline wasn't met for the Woodward-I-75 development project by Olympia.

No word on if there will be penalties.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ilitches-miss-development-plan-deadline-woodwardi-75-property

**Atticus** · July-01-19, 08:25 PM

Maybe they will get a slap on the wrist and a “promise to try harder next time”.

**EGrant** · July-02-19, 05:46 AM

They are probably just going to "develop" the land into an extension of the plaza. Put down some poured concrete pavers, add a few signs and boom, development.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-02-19, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Zads07

Surprise, surprise, the deadline wasn't met for the Woodward-I-75 development project by Olympia.

No word on if there will be penalties.

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/ilitches-miss-development-plan-deadline-woodwardi-75-property

It’s even worse, but not surprising, that they missed the deadline that had already been extended by ONE YEAR!

**401don** · July-07-19, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

It’s even worse, but not surprising, that they missed the deadline that had already been extended by ONE YEAR!

The News is piling on by quoting the Crain's article. It really has been a change in tone by the local media.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/op...on/1632454001/

**David L** · July-07-19, 11:35 AM

This is the kind of pressure that needs to be increasingly applied. There is no excuse for the lack of progress.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · July-07-19, 02:03 PM

That’s a great editorial. I totally agree with it, and it’s great to see the Illitch organization being called out. Action needs to be taken to force them to make progress or get out of the way.

**Zads07** · July-07-19, 02:18 PM

For the News, this is a big editorial.

It explains things coherently, describes the problems and tells you why things need to change. Keep it up.

**Gistok** · July-07-19, 04:20 PM

A reminder... for those of you with Facebook accounts, there is a FB page with all the Ilitch missed opportunities spelled out week by week....

https://www.facebook.com/TERRIBLEILITCHES/

**Gistok** · July-12-19, 10:30 PM

I don't think this is posted elsewhere on DYES...

According to the Terrible Illitches Facebook page... Detroit congresswoman Rashida Tlaib had this to say about the Ilitches not meeting their deadlines:
___________________

"DEGC: What will it take for your agency to hold the Ilitches accountable?

This is getting out of hand, & please tell me how our elected officials are so silent on this blatant disregard for the promises made to benefit the public [[who subsidized it all) in exchange for their support [[votes)."
__________________

This is in response to the Detroit News Op/Ed piece of July 6 below. The bandwagon is getting larger to put a fire under the Ilitches/ city government /DDA /DESC about the Ilitches fulfilling their promises to taxpayers for paying for a big chunk of the arena complex...

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/op...on/1632454001/

A pity that our Ilitch apologist emu steve is no longer on this forum to defend the Ilitches. For those new folks on DYES, the first few dozen pages of this thread [[going back to 2015) are full of his posts defending the Ilitches for their past performances before the arena was anywhere near completion, as well as so many of us that already knew [[from the Ilitches past performances) what to expect after the arena was completed. Nothing but parking...

**MrChrome** · October-01-19, 07:02 PM

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Columbia street is looking pretty good. Lot's of potential here with many storefronts, although only a few have businesses coming in to them.

**Metro25** · October-01-19, 07:34 PM

^why would they not plant some trees along there?

**angry_fred** · October-01-19, 10:54 PM

Originally Posted by Metro25

^why would they not plant some trees along there?

Looks like the sidewalks are relatively narrow, and the lights might not mix well with trees.

As much as I love hating on the Ilitches, I must say this looks really nice. If they can do this to a few adjacent streets, I might actually be willing to cut them some slack.

**401don** · October-02-19, 08:04 AM

Originally Posted by MrChrome

Columbia street is looking pretty good. Lot's of potential here with many storefronts, although only a few have businesses coming in to them.

That's the issue isn't it. As storefront retail shrinks across the country, after all these years Detroit is now adding spaces like we've never seen in our lifetimes. Parking lots look bad but so do empty storefronts.

**masterblaster** · October-02-19, 08:32 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

That's the issue isn't it. As storefront retail shrinks across the country, after all these years Detroit is now adding spaces like we've never seen in our lifetimes. Parking lots look bad but so do empty storefronts.

Detroit had little retail for decades, now a FEW, just a FEW, storefronts are being built, and you are predicting doom already. This one-block strip hasn't even opened yet. There are 3 restaurants lined up for that block plus a Starbucks, as well as a two-pronged M-Den store.

Big city downtowns have retail storefronts on every block and will always be retail destinations unto themselves, even if brick-and-mortar retail is declining. Plus the few storefronts being built aren't all retail - bars and restaurants are being opened in these storefronts at a greater rate than retail.

**Detroitdave** · October-02-19, 08:34 AM

It looks good, now that they’ve FINALLY finished this they’ll HAVE to finish the hotel/apartment building at the end of their nice new shinny street. Olympia won't look good to all the fans driving in from the burbs. If the Maybe They’ll get off their ass and get it done? They'll have to get the eddystone done. They wouldn't want their fans to that empty shell of a building next to their nice shinny street and arena.

**401don** · October-02-19, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by masterblaster

Detroit had little retail for decades, now a FEW, just a FEW, storefronts are being built, and you are predicting doom already. This one-block strip hasn't even opened yet. There are 3 restaurants lined up for that block plus a Starbucks, as well as a two-pronged M-Den store.

Big city downtowns have retail storefronts on every block and will always be retail destinations unto themselves, even if brick-and-mortar retail is declining. Plus the few storefronts being built aren't all retail - bars and restaurants are being opened in these storefronts at a greater rate than retail.

Did I predict doom? I just said it's ironic now that Detroit is in an economic position to support more retail, it's at a time when retail is declining. I wasn't specifically talking about these few storefronts, I was simply saying there are a lot to fill with more coming online. Obviously, more retail is great.

**mikeg19** · October-02-19, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitdave

It looks good, now that they’ve FINALLY finished this they’ll HAVE to finish the hotel/apartment building at the end of their nice new shinny street. They won’t look to week with all the fans driving in from the burbs. Maybe They’ll get off their ass and get it done?

Doubt it, otherwise that mindset would have applied to the Eddystone sitting right next door to LCA & Mike Illitch School of Business.

**MrChrome** · October-02-19, 11:06 AM

Are we seeing movement in the district. It isn't close to what they promised, or when they promised it, but still.

Little Caesars headquarters - Work has started up again
Office building next to LCA - Steel going up
Edddystone - Work progressing
Women's Club - Looks like work is progressing?
Detroit Life Building - Work progressing?

**DetroitSoldier** · October-02-19, 11:44 AM

Originally Posted by MrChrome

Are we seeing movement in the district. It isn't close to what they promised, or when they promised it, but still.

Little Caesars headquarters - Work has started up again
Office building next to LCA - Steel going up
Edddystone - Work progressing
Women's Club - Looks like work is progressing?
Detroit Life Building - Work progressing?

I would classify it as "work finishing" at the headquarters building. They are finishing the top floor facing Woodward and the retail space, but Little Caesars moved into the building about six months ago.