New Arena For The Red Wings
Several plans for a replacement arena have surfaced in recent years, including proposals for the expansion of Cobo Hall that require JLA to be demolished. Currently, no firm plan for replacement or remodeling is in place. In 2009, the Red Wings announced that they would not renew their 30-year Joe Louis Arena lease with the City of Detroit (which also included the rights to Cobo Arena). Olympia Entertainment say they now plan to negotiate a new lease for Joe Louis, which could either be a long-term commitment that would lead to renovating the existing arena, or a short term deal that would buy them time to arrange financing for a new venue.
On February 23, 2010, Ilitch Holdings announced the hiring of Tom Wilson. Wilson will be president and CEO of a soon-to-be-named new enterprise within Ilitch Holdings. At the press conference announcing Wilson's hiring, Christopher Ilitch did not rule out the construction of an arena that would house both the Detroit Pistons and the Red Wings. He also did not rule out the Red Wings playing temporarily at The Palace of Auburn Hills until a new building was ready downtown. According to Christopher Ilitch, the team will stay at Joe Louis Arena at least through the end of the 2011–12 season.
In May 2012 the Wings hired HKS to design a new 18,000 arena in downtown Detroit. Co-architect is Chan Krieger NBBJ, a Boston architect specializing in urban developments. Several sites in downtown have already been explored for the arena location.
Read more about this topic: Joe Louis Arena
Famous quotes containing the words arena, red and/or wings:
“O the joy of the strong-brawn’d fighter, towering in the arena in perfect condition, conscious of power, thirsting to meet his opponent.”
—Walt Whitman (1819–1892)
“And out of her bosom there grew a red rose
And out of Lord Lovel’s a briar, briar, briar,
And out of Lord Lovel’s a briar.”
—Unknown. Lord Lovel (l. 38–40)
“The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.”
—Denis Waitly. Quoted in The Winning Family, ch. 25, by Louise Hart (1987)