How would you design the arena and development?

[Gistok]

Here's how I'd block out the "Arena District"

Freeway would be decked over. The fox garage would be extended Northward over the freeway.

Area just East of the "new" fox garage would become an outdoor skating rink like Millennium Park in Chicago. It would be surrounded by restaurants and retail to soften the backdrop of the parking garage. But you'd see this open up toward Woodward. Keep in mind, service drive would continue as normal beneath the garage.

The Arena would be surrounded by Sproat, Park, and Vernor and Woodward...but it would be pushed back toward Park. I'd want reserve a linear strip along Woodward for hotels, restaurants, and shopping. It would also help give this arena a better face so it wouldn't be some dead wall along Woodward when games aren't going on.

Lots north of Sproat would become a mix of retail and residential. Lots between Cass and Park would be entirely residential.

If those two homes are still standing. I'd have them dismantled and reconstructed close by. Last thing I want is an arena surrounded by entirely new monolithic buildings. You need a good mix to keep it interesting.

Also, while I'd prefer a very modern design. I think the populace would enjoy an Art-Deco design more. That might be more interesting actually.

Nice idea Wolverine... part of the problem is that Ilitch has purchased so much land, that no matter what he does... a lot of land will still remain empty.

There's only one part of your plan I don't like, and I'll tell you why... that is the continuation of the Fox Garage north of I-75. Woodward and Park Ave... even though they are neighboring streets, there is no real "connectivity" between them... the closest you get is the yet-to-be developed north wall of W. Adams Ave. Elizabeth, Columbia and Montcalm have huge canyons of "no commercial/retail between the 2 streets. I would like there to be more "paths of commerce" between them... to help make some kind of pedestrian zone between Woodward and Park Ave. Otherwise... I like your plan [[although it's Midtown, rather than west Foxtown in nature). Especially the idea of keeping the arena some distance back from Woodward... but not in the same way where Ilitch has kept Comerica Park back from Woodward with 2 huge parking blocks.

Without Eminent Domain, it really boils down to which area Ilitch can get the necessary missing parcels to purchase to actually have enough space to build an Arena.