New Stadium Ideas

[hellsson 8]

With some recient talk of getting a new stadium, FINALLY, for the Wings. What are your Thoughts, I've always wanted to see a throwback style stadium looking simular to the Old Olympia. I even found a web sight that had some basic drawings on how it could look thought I would like to see it a little more modern I think he's on the right track.

I'd like to see everyone's ideas on features you would like to see added when they finally do give us a new location.

New Olympia Stadium Web Site

Edited July 2, 2009 by hellsson

[Pat 44]

I like the look of it, I don't like all the obstructed view seating.

Good looking large arena, lets get er done!

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

I really like the idea of a retro-style arena. That's kind of why I didn't want the Joe to be replaced by a huge corporate monstrosity with shiny floors and tons of neon everywhere. I like that the Joe is small because every seat is really good. I hope the new arena would be similar in size. I wouldn't even mind if they made it really similar to the Joe but improved it with bathrooms and etc. I would really miss walking up those huge steps on the river walking into the arena. I get really high and excited every time, so maybe the new arena could have huge steps at the entrance for me too.

[wings1110 184]

its gottta have a wayyyy bigger capacity build it huge and have low ticket prices. have the largest arena in the league. show everyone that this is HOCKEYTOWN

[schulzte 18]

I'm glad someone likes my plan, I've had a few people link to it in this forum. I updated the plan once and for all (including a little higher capacity) and even mailed a copy to Olympia Entertainment. They replied that they weren't going to commit to it at this time. I wasn't exactly expecting them to look at an unsolicited 21 page document from someone they've never heard of and break ground next week. I thought maybe they could take a look at the document and get some ideas from it and say "we appreciate your interest and will consider some of your ideas".

Anyway, the biggest negative response I get is regarding obstructed view seats and poles. I contend that by creating less than 200 obstructed view seats under the balcony by putting a few support poles in at the ends like at the Old Olympia, one can tighten the entire arena up and bring the balcony really close to the ice. That's the big reason places like Boston Garden and especially Chicago Stadium were so loud, all the seating levels were on top of each other. Imagine a 20,000 seat arena with the balconies right on top of the ice!

It's good to hear your comments; the final updated word document can be found at

this link

Thanks,

TS

New Olympia Stadium

Edited July 3, 2009 by schulzte

[RoninJai 5]

TS, you ever think about doing that plan up in 3d?

[Silent Hill 3]

Great job, I like it!

[schulzte 18]

I wish I could, but I don't know CAD software well enough yet to do a good 3-D model.

TS, you ever think about doing that plan up in 3d?

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

I don't really like it at all, there ain't much seating at all.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I'm glad someone likes my plan, I've had a few people link to it in this forum. I updated the plan once and for all (including a little higher capacity) and even mailed a copy to Olympia Entertainment. They replied that they weren't going to commit to it at this time. I wasn't exactly expecting them to look at an unsolicited 21 page document from someone they've never heard of and break ground next week. I thought maybe they could take a look at the document and get some ideas from it and say "we appreciate your interest and will consider some of your ideas".

Anyway, the biggest negative response I get is regarding obstructed view seats and poles. I contend that by creating less than 200 obstructed view seats under the balcony by putting a few support poles in at the ends like at the Old Olympia, one can tighten the entire arena up and bring the balcony really close to the ice. That's the big reason places like Boston Garden and especially Chicago Stadium were so loud, all the seating levels were on top of each other. Imagine a 20,000 seat arena with the balconies right on top of the ice!

It's good to hear your comments; the final updated word document can be found at

this link

Thanks,

TS

New Olympia Stadium

One suggestion, TS: part of the attraction of the Olympia is the facade, but you've shoved the facade up against the street behind some buildings where it's hard to get a look at it. Suggestion: move the building to the wedge of land between Grand River and Cass with the front entrance on Elizabeth and the building at the corner of Elizabeth and Cass. You could then have a Red Wings Plaza or something in front of it, between Elizabeth and Adams, with the new Olympia on one side and the GAR building anchoring the other end. Open spaces like that make for a great atmosphere. There'd be room between the stadium and freeway for a loading/players' entrance, space for another open plaza with trees between Grand River and the stadium, and then parking garages where you've got the stadium now.

Edit: here, this is what I mean:

Obviously you know better than I what the correct stadium size is, nor have I given much thought to what land the Ilitches actually own or could really get, nor what buildings are in the way (there aren't many, although I did spare the little church there.)

[schulzte 18]

I like the suggestions about putting the arena along Grand River Avenue and making the enterance more visible. If I have some time, I may rethink the location and draw up an alternate site plan. I don't like the idea of going way over 20,000 seats. The updated final plan has a capacity of 20,021, which is 45 less than the Joe. The fact is that as great as the Wings are, they haven't sold out every game the past two years, and building a 30,000 seat arena to have a boat load of $20 seats would likely backfire. The arena would become larger and much more expensive to offset the inclusion of a lot a cheap seats that won't generate as much revenue, because as you build bigger, you have to build higher and wider and the costs for every extra seat become disproportionately higher. That is a big reason that newer arenas have rarely exceeded 20,000 seats. Also, there is the remote possibility that God forbid the Wings someday aren't going to be as good. Then you have a 30,000 seat arena drawing 13-15,000 a game.

New Olympia Stadium

Edited July 3, 2009 by schulzte

[Silent Hill 3]

20,000 people is the perfect arena size - not only for hockey but for other events like concerts, basketball, and such. Detroit proper needs an arena that size, anything bigger and you're competing with Ford Field (40,000+) and the Silverdome (40-50,000 for a concert). Smaller venues are pretty much taken care of - Cobo, Pine Knob (or whatever the hell they call it now - it's Pine Knob to me), Fox, etc.

One other thing you may want to explore is what they've done at a couple other arenas (I think the Palace does this) and put "luxury boxes" under the arena. Basically, they're swanky meeting rooms under the venue, so they're high security areas where high profile celebrities can watch the game on High Def monitors with all the amenities of a luxury box but without all those pesky people bothering them. You rent them to corporations on off days for their corporate meetings (like hotel meeting rooms only much cooler) to generate some extra revenue.

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

You know I don't really like the outside look of the rink you have made. It looks kinda like a movie theater, and as for the inside. It looks old in those pictures.

[OsGOD 3]

personally i think they should just make a much larger version of the WFCU arena or as the post below me said... the Nationwide Arena

Edited July 3, 2009 by OsGOD

[servo 15]

Personally, I like what you are doing here, but the new area should pay homage to the Olympia and not emulate it.

I think they should get proposals from the architectural firm that designed Nationwide arena.

[RoninJai 5]

I wish I could, but I don't know CAD software well enough yet to do a good 3-D model.

I'm a 3D Max guy, myself. I would take a crack at it, but that's a pretty big undertaking I don't know if I have the time for. Would be neat to see some actual views from seats and what not, though.

[oldredbarnman 13]

Personally, I like what you are doing here, but the new area should pay homage to the Olympia and not emulate it.

I think they should get proposals from the architectural firm that designed Nationwide arena.

I was at Nationwide when it first opened. Very nice building. I believe it has two sheets of ice, so when there is an event scheduled for the main arena, the team can still practice in the same building. Plus, very wide concourses and restrooms, and they had a floor hockey rink for the kids.

I would love to see the outside of the building to look like Olympia, and I would like to see it either at Michigan and Trumbell, or on the northwest side of I-75 and Woodward. I believe Ilitch owns that land as well.

[schulzte 18]

I think the Red Wings should have a couple ultimate goals in the design of this arena. First of all, can I look at a picture of this building and instantly know what it is and where I am without being told? In other words, is it a landmark? This arena needs to be a landmark. Wrigley Field, Madison Square Garden, the LA Coliseum and even the new Sprint Center in Kansas City, these are all landmarks, and an arena like that which I have illustrated would be instantly recognizable by hockey fans. As such, I think this building would be set apart from the rest as our nation's hockey arena in effect. If I'm looking at a picture of the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH, how do I know what it is? I've heard its nice, but it looks like another glass, steel, and concrete box just like most of the other new NHL buildings. A New Olympia Stadium would represent hockey in America ahead of any other arena. Hockey fans would want to make a special trip to a building like this, just like Wrigley Field. And no other city could pull off a building like this, because either they already have theirs or they don't have any historical context to build upon.

Most people like this idea, but the biggest criticism I get is that this building isn't original and Detroit needs something new, not a rehash. But from an architectural standpoint, the easiest thing to do would be to try and build the fanciest, most cutting edge building that looks a little different but mostly the same as every other arena. If the Red Wings don't build an arena like just like this, that is fine by me (though I hope they do). But heres hoping that what they do build is a landmark and not another Jobing.com or Nationwide Arena.

New Olympia Stadium

[Lord Stanley XI 3]

I get really high and excited every time, so maybe the new arena could have huge steps at the entrance for me too.

The Lovin' Jiri Fischer Stairway

[deetroit dario 27]

If that's what ya want then why not play in Ford Field?

...because the only sports teams that win there are the away teams?

[dklotz 0]

As much as I love the Joe the Wings really need a new arena to play in.... Building a new arena behind the Fox would really bring that area to life year round and would make going to Wings game more enjoyable in my opinion... The Joe sits in an awkward spot which really creates problems for people when they are leaving the games... If a new arena was built behind the fox they could put the concourse at street level which would eliminate the need for the steps and would allow for more exits to the building...

I like the idea of an older style arena, but I honestly wouldn't want an exact replica of Olympia Stadium because it isn't Olympia.... Adding a sign at the main entrance like they had on Olympia would be really neat along with certain other design elements, but not an exact copy..... And the only other thing I wouldn't want to see would be parking garages built around the arena.... There are plenty of parking option in downtown Detroit since people seem to value parking lots over saving historical buildings, so there honestly wouldn't be a need for more... If people can find parking spots for Tigers games they could walk across the street to a new hockey arena... What they really need to do is build up the streets around the arena with newer building that look older to match the area which would allow bars and restaurants to open around the area... This would really create some density that you don't see in Detroit like you used to since we're loosing so many of the buildings to parking lots in the downtown area...

Just my 2 cents...

Edited July 4, 2009 by dklotz

[soultrain 43]

the last time i was in detroit i was amazed at all the abandoned building and empty store fronts. they need to build a new arena downtown. anything that anyone can do for the city is a great thing. i do agree that the joe is kinda out of the way....there is plenty of space, or space that can be made for a new arena downtown. someone had the idea of making it look "vintage"...they did that with a movie theater where i live...it looks kinda corny but i have also seen that style work out great (ie-sf giants ball park)

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

The Lovin' Jiri Fischer Stairway

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

If we get a new arena I don't want it to be right in the middle of the city. It seems that many NHL teams arena is in the middle of there city and it's hurt to park and hard to walk to with traffic. I usually have to park mile away when I go to the Wings @ Wild, plus traffic is crazy right next to the rink.