Red Wings arena going to happen, because Red Wings say so

When last we checked in on the Detroit Red Wings arena campaign, team owner Mike Ilitch was looking for possibly $300 million or more in subsidies, while the city of Detroit was about to have its finances taken over by the state. The latter has since happened, and the former remains on track, according to … well, according to Mike Ilitch’s son Chris:

The Detroit Red Wings will get a new arena.

It’s not if, but when and yet Chris Ilitch doesn’t know or want to say much about it.

”Everybody is working hard and there’s positive progress,” the president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings told The Associated Press after Wednesday’s Detroit Economic Club meeting.

What’s next in the process?

”It’s tough to say,” he said. ”I’d prefer not to make any predictions and just keep working away and continue to do our due diligence and see what we can put together.”

He’s not going to make predictions, but the Associated Press sure will. Remember, it’s not if, but when. Because that’s what serious journalism is all about.

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3 comments on “Red Wings arena going to happen, because Red Wings say so

  1. Still waiting for them to threaten to move to Windsor. That would be a pretty epic situation.

  2. It would be interesting to see how likely arenas/sports team owners are to get funding from the state vs the city/county and what proportion. Then again, as your book points out, the payoffs are huge so you only have to ask enough times, artfully, to make it work and you win.

  3. “Still waiting for them to threaten to move to Windsor. That would be a pretty epic situation.”

    Hahahaha! Indeed. The Red Wings would temporarily play their home games and share the WFCU Centre with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) unitl they decide to either renovate the arena to 17,000 seats or get another arena built. It’s more likely they would renovate the arena. What about the Spitfires you say? The team moves to Chatham? Fort Erie? Burlington?

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