DETROIT, MI – Mass excavation began Friday for a new Detroit Red Wings arena in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, a few days after city officials gave construction the green light.
Olympia Development of Michigan aims to have the $450 million, 20,000-seat arena completed by the summer of 2017. It’s part of a $650 million development project that also calls for mixed-use development around the arena in a 45-block area that now sits mostly empty.
Doug Kuiper, Olympia’s vice president of corporate communications, tweeted this Friday. Olympia is the development arm of Ilitch Holdings, which owns the Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Fox Theatre and MotorCity Casino. It is overseen by Mike and Marian Ilitch, the founders of the Little Caesars Pizza chain.
City Council signed off on a zoning change for the project Tuesday, and Detroit’s Downtown Development Authority gave final approval Wednesday afternoon.
