Detroit Update: On the Pistons Moving to Little Caesars Arena, and New Soccer Stadium

[hybridy]

UPDATE: 22 NOV 2016
Sources: Palace of Auburn Hills will be sold, demolished after Pistons move
Link to WDIV announcement

Jump to discussion on this breaking news further down this thread >>

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dBusiness breaking it!
"Detroit Pistons begin play during the 2017-18 season at Little Caesars Arena

-practice facility for the basketball team immediately north of the stadium

-Detroit Medical Center is looking to build a new facility for sports medicine, rehabilitation, and other health care offerings

-plans are to move the Hockeytown Café at the northwest corner of Woodward and Montcalm north in a space near or inside the new $627.5-million arena

-The Hockeytown Café, which includes City Theatre, would either be demolished or incorporated into a larger development along Woodward, between Montcalm and the I-75 service drive

-original plans for the two blocks in front of Comerica Park, the team said it would likely construct a five-story apartment complex that would offer 300 units. But those plans are being expanded considerably

-project team is still working to build the stadium at the unfinished Wayne County Jail site at I-375 and Gratiot Avenue. The stadium, which may be complemented by three midrise towers [[hotel, office, residential), retail, restaurants, and parking, would also likely including the moving of the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice and other neighboring court facilities.

-The jail and court system could be moved to the Mound Road Correctional Facility on Detroit’s east side at Davison and Mound, the former train station at Michigan Avenue and 14th Street, or the twin offices towers formerly occupied by the state of Michigan at the Lodge Freeway and Howard Street."

link

[dtowncitylover]

"If a deal is finalized to have the Detroit Pistons begin play during the 2017-18 season..."

So it hasn't been finalized?

[hybridy]

its happening...

[EGrant]

This seems pretty speculative... But the Hockeytown Cafe details are intriguing.

[hybridy]

having tenants in here would be a great anchor for the west edge of the cbd

"twin offices towers formerly occupied by the state of Michigan at the Lodge Freeway and Howard Street"

[1953]

having tenants in here would be a great anchor for the west edge of the cbd

"twin offices towers formerly occupied by the state of Michigan at the Lodge Freeway and Howard Street"

If they move here, they will need to do something about the on-ramp to the Lodge at Howard. It already backs up every day, quite badly since the city closed Abbott Street at Third for their public safety "campus" [[read, buidling + garage).

[Danny]

YAY!!!!!

Detroit finally have all 4 teams. Tigers, Lions, Red Wings and Pistons.!!!

TAKE THAT L.B. PATTERSON!!!

[mikeg19]

The other ancillary developments are the most interesting. A 29 story residential tower and office tower fronting Woodward in front of Comerica is a huge difference from some 5 story apartments. Also, why knock down and relocate HockeyTown if something significant was going there as well?

[hybridy]

The other ancillary developments are the most interesting. A 29 story residential tower and office tower fronting Woodward in front of Comerica is a huge difference from some 5 story apartments. Also, why knock down and relocate HockeyTown if something significant was going there as well?

lol...the article is referencing ballpark village in st louis, not detroit. illitch wants to do something similar to this in front of comerica. previously announced was 300 apts in two 5-story bldgs. they're now modifying that plan to increase scope, but nothing concrete.

Located on 10 acres, the first phase of Ballpark Village, which opened in March 2014, includes restaurant and entertainment offerings. Tenants include Cardinals Nation, Budweiser Brew House, Fox Sports Midwest Live, PBR St. Louis — A Cowboy Bar, Howl at the Moon, and Drunken Fish. Offering 100,000 square feet of space, the project is complemented by a small baseball diamond called Bush II Field that is used as a park and for public gatherings.

By 2019, plans call for adding a $220-million, 550,000-square foot development at Ballpark Village. The project would include a 29-story luxury residential tower, along with a new office building complemented by retail, restaurant, and entertainment space.

it sounds like they're going to demo hockeytown & city theatre @ woodward and montcalm. hockeytown will be recreated [[ie. move the memorabilia not the building) within the arena and something larger would be built on the woodward & montcalm in it's place. that's intentionally misleading because the city will get down on illitch if he tears down anything else without immediately replacing it.

maurice cox is extremely salty about the park ave hotel being demo'd for a loading dock...

[emu steve]

Is this the "October Surprise"?

Or that it is going up to 70 tomorrow in metro Detroit?

Or the FBI announcement in D.C?

[[lot of news on a sleepy Friday afternoon).

[hybridy]

Is this the "October Surprise"?

Or that it is going up to 70 tomorrow in metro Detroit?

Or the FBI announcement in D.C?

[[lot of news on a sleepy Friday afternoon).

dont forget the bundy acquittal

[emu steve]

What might be overlooked [[even though it is in the title of this thread) is that the Gilbert plans for a team and stadium at the 'fail jail' site isn't dead.

I assumed it was on life support and no news was bad news...

[southen]

The county needed to keep it's leverage, which is why it proceeded with the bidding process on a new jail. I haven't doubted for a second that Gilbert wouldn't get it eventually.

[Gistok]

If they were going to move the courts, I think that the former Michigan Executive Plaza would be a nice way to repurpose the 2 buildings on that site west of the Lodge Fwy. Maybe they could build a skyway over to the [[newly repurposed) Detroit Police Station across the Lodge, to connect the sites. I'm not sure how many of those 3000 parking spaces of the former [[temp) MotorCity Casino site are unused, but if there is a lot of unused parking, it could be used by the court system just across Howard to the west of the Lodge. [[Note: former Michigan Executive Plaza is in the lower left/center of aerial image, Police Station is the white building in the upper right.)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/13...!4d-83.0583423

Although the unused Mound Rd. Jail would be fine for correctional use, there is always space on the former Michigan Executive Plaza site for a new jail.

I just don't want to see the courts and associated offices move out of the downtown area. They provide spin-off business for other downtown businesses.

[bust]

I'm surprised no one has commented yet on the idea they're floating to move the jail and courts to Michigan Central Station. Of course we're all hoping MCS will be rehabbed but it would not reflect well upon Detroit for its most emblematic ruin porn to become a jail once it finally is. Courts, ok. But please not a jail. Can that really be what they're suggesting? Personally I agree with Hybridy and Gistok that Michigan Executive Plaza and its vicinity would be a much better location, especially with its proximity to the new police HQ.

[hybridy]

Once the joe comes down we can cap the lodge from Cobo to dps hq. could be a nice pedestrian connection from exec plaza to greater downtown

[Hypestyles]

How would a jail be built at the "twin towers" location?

[hybridy]

Pick an adjacent surface lot...there are several. Maybe they can repurpose the modular cell blocks waiting in storage somewhere...

Let's not forget. The whole east edge of corktown was leveled for the west side industrial project 50+ yrs back. A jail directly on the lodge is buffered enough from the residential end of corktown and keeps the courts and associated workers close enough to the cbd.

Michigan central and Roosevelt park deserve better than jail and courts...

What do you think proposal a is really for? Hudsons or prisoners?

[jmarie]

Those three surface lots along 6th are leased by Quicken. Although, I'm sure he'd probably give up the parking lots in exchange for the jail site. It would still be a lot of employees displaced for parking, when he is already shuttling people to and from New Center.

[hybridy]

That's what the q-line is for!

The z lot is a boon for Gilbert. Additional parking decks only guarantees additional revenue. The demand is at tipping point. As a downtown worker I can testify to hefty parking increases in all garages downtown. Additional parking structures on the periphery of the cbd with slightly lower rates and shuttle service will be well utilized

[stasu1213]

I would love to see an NBA store open in the downtown area being that the Pistons are moving or possibly moving downtown. What a win win for Downtown Detroit for people of all walk of life like basketball even if the Pistons are not having a good season people would still come to see Lebron play against them or even Curry in downtown Detroit

[stasu1213]

We must remember before we get our hopes up too high. It's not official and the only reason the Gores is considering moving the Pistons downtown is from all of the pressure by the people and the NBA. He may opt out of the deal if he can. Gilbert or Illitch may have to end up buying the team from him and move the team downtown themselves. Gores never did have a heart to move the team downtown and typical of Detroit to not get the most important things in the city that would be a win win for the city. Mass Transit, jobs, a major retail store downtown or along Jefferson, a good national chain grocery store downtown, and the Pistons

[Gistok]

We must remember before we get our hopes up too high. It's not official and the only reason the Gores is considering moving the Pistons downtown is from all of the pressure by the people and the NBA. He may opt out of the deal if he can. Gilbert or Illitch may have to end up buying the team from him and move the team downtown themselves. Gores never did have a heart to move the team downtown and typical of Detroit to not get the most important things in the city that would be a win win for the city. Mass Transit, jobs, a major retail store downtown or along Jefferson, a good national chain grocery store downtown, and the Pistons

I have to disagree with you on your assessment. Gores is a billionaire... no one is holding a gun to his head... he's doing what he wants... and only what he wants. It just so happens that IF a move to the new arena is going to happen... then that decision needs to come so that the Pistons infrastructure [[locker rooms, etc) can be incorporated now into the design.

If Gores wasn't all that interested in the team, then he wouldn't have bid on it. I do honestly believe that he WANTS to move downtown... and also WANTS to be a partner with Gilbert in a potential MLS stadium on the Fail Jail site. If he didn't have the heart to move the team downtown... he wouldn't be this far along in the discussions, including finding a site for a practice facility.

In this case, the 800 lb. gorilla happens to be the Ilitch's.

[EGrant]

Based on Gores' comments at the Pistons home opener last night [[which he was ironically late to because of traffic on I-75...), they are VERY close to getting a deal done.

“I think if we’re going to do it, it’s going to be soon,” Gores said. “I’ve always been relatively transparent with you guys and we’re getting close, we’re getting close." -Detroit Free Press

And Gilbert can't buy the Pistons since he already owns an NBA team in Cleveland. I am certain Gores will get this done soon.

[hybridy]

@stasu I'm under no authorization to confirm, but the piston are coming downtown