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Jenny

Illitch "definitely committed" to new downtown arena

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Amway Center? :puke: Sounds like a shopping mall full of $1 stores...

I understand the local ties with Amway, I guess if the went that way there are plenty of other options too...Meijer Garden's anyone? Maybe go all the way back in Detroit's history and go with Cadillac Centre?

Those are three I could live with:

Delta Centre

Meijer Gardens

Cadillac Centre

edit: I also like PNC Place...

Edited by LeftWinger

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'10. It was from Eaves' Hat Trick game. Final Scoreboard.

AAC has parking in all directions, both private lots and city property. I usually park under a freeway and walk to the stadium (not even half a mile). Occasionally I can get Stars tickets through my company (they have season tickets), and those include free parking right next to AAC, which is always nice too. Definitely better than waiting for 45 minutes in the biting cold for a vastly overcrowded people mover train to get me back to the Greektown.

Moving to downtown will be good for the city, and good for the Wings too. As much as I love the Joe, and would be sad to see it go, it's something that needs to be done for a number of reasons. When they finally do demolish the Joe, I need to get someone to bring a piece of it back for me. Talk about something awesome to have at my desk at work...

I am not quite sure, but Iltich was planning at one time on using the Joe and turning it into an aquarium. So I am not sure about demolishing it, but gutting the inside will definitely happen and it would be awesome to have some stuff from there! I worked the bench one day for my son's hockey team and I was working the door on the Wings bench that leads right down to their Wings locker room. I would love to have the bench from there, it looks like an old piece of crap wooden plank, but man, think of the rears that sat on that thing! History!

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'10. It was from Eaves' Hat Trick game. Final Scoreboard.

I remember that game well, it was the 1 game I missed in the last 3 years. We attended the Stars' season opener that year (Modano's homecoming) and my brother passed away 2 days later, I burned up my vacation on that and didn't have any PTO to make that game. IIRC, that game was 3-1 Dallas at one point, Wings went up 4-3 by the end of 2nd, and then potted 3 more in the third. I was so pissed I missed Patty's Hatty.

I am not quite sure, but Iltich was planning at one time on using the Joe and turning it into an aquarium. So I am not sure about demolishing it, but gutting the inside will definitely happen and it would be awesome to have some stuff from there! I worked the bench one day for my son's hockey team and I was working the door on the Wings bench that leads right down to their Wings locker room. I would love to have the bench from there, it looks like an old piece of crap wooden plank, but man, think of the rears that sat on that thing! History!

As a HUGE fish keeper, that would simply be amazing.

Edited by rrasco

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I am not quite sure, but Iltich was planning at one time on using the Joe and turning it into an aquarium. So I am not sure about demolishing it, but gutting the inside will definitely happen and it would be awesome to have some stuff from there! I worked the bench one day for my son's hockey team and I was working the door on the Wings bench that leads right down to their Wings locker room. I would love to have the bench from there, it looks like an old piece of crap wooden plank, but man, think of the rears that sat on that thing! History!

The stories I've always seen/heard all mentioned that the Joe would be demolished to make way for an expansion of Cobo. Though, living in Dallas, I admittedly get less information about that than others would. An aquarium would be a great idea too. The same thing was done in Dallas with an old warehouse built in the 1920's, and it turned out magnificently. Doing the same thing with a sports arena is definitely possible, if challenging.

Though, since the Joe is owned by the City of Detroit, the Ilitch's may have no say in the matter at all, when the time comes...

I remember that game well, it was the 1 game I missed in the last 3 years. We attended the Stars' season opener that year (Modano's homecoming) and my brother passed away 2 days later, I burned up my vacation on that and didn't have any PTO to make that game. IIRC, that game was 3-1 Dallas at one point, Wings went up 4-3 by the end of 2nd, and then potted 3 more in the third. I was so pissed I missed Patty's Hatty.

My at-the-time-girlfriend (now fiance) was with me at that game, and she's a huge Stars fan. The Stars scored all their goals in less than 2 minutes, and she was just laughing it up. I was ticked off, but there was still plenty of time left in the game. Needless to say, I was laughing by the end of the night.

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Any way to incorporate Yzerman, Howe or Hockeytown in the arena name?

And BTW, I'll miss knowing the Wings play in the coolest arena name in sports. In today's corporate prison world, to name an arena after a boxing legend is pretty awesome. We'll not see that again I'm afraid.

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My at-the-time-girlfriend (now fiance) was with me at that game, and she's a huge Stars fan. The Stars scored goals #2 and #3 less than a minute apart, and she was just laughing it up. I was ticked off, but that was still in the first, so I knew there was plenty of time. Needless to say, I was laughing by the end of the night.

You're not the couple that is always there with the girl that has the sign that says 'should I dump him?' with an arrow pointing to her boyfriend with a Wings' jersey, are you?

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You're not the couple that is always there with the girl that has the sign that says 'should I dump him?' with an arrow pointing to her boyfriend with a Wings' jersey, are you?

Haha, nope. She's not the kind of person to draw attention to herself like that.

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The stories I've always seen/heard all mentioned that the Joe would be demolished to make way for an expansion of Cobo. Though, living in Dallas, I admittedly get less information about that than others would. An aquarium would be a great idea too. The same thing was done in Dallas with an old warehouse built in the 1920's, and it turned out magnificently. Doing the same thing with a sports arena is definitely possible, if challenging.

Though, since the Joe is owned by the City of Detroit, the Ilitch's may have no say in the matter at all, when the time comes...

True, and since the City is always in such a damned hurry to demolish icons of the city, they would want it down immediately! I can remember when Tiger Stadium shut its doors in 99' the city immediately started talking about demolition. When they built the new Cass Tech High School, the historic old building didn't last one year...but the let rotting neighborhoods sit for decades...streets with 9 out of 10 houses burned out and uninhabitable. But when it comes to history, tear it down NOW! Look at the old Stadium site now, and fenced in overgrown field and you can barely see the old infield. Which just refers back to who or what is running this city...

Anyway, I do recall that the aquarium was proposed by Illtich, and of course since the city does own the Joe, they'd have to ok it, but in regards to Cobo, I think the expansion project was put on hold with all the City Counsel fiasco a few years back... I think, as long as we get the right people in charge of the city, an aquarium would be a much better attraction than expanding Cobo for pretty much to accommodate just one event a year...it is also my opinion that they should have kept Cobo Arena open. Even though it only holds 12,000, it was still the best place to see a live concert! Now it's gonna be a banquet hall...really Detroit? A Banquet Hall? I can see that working out very well! Typical of our city though! We need fresh blood in this city, fresh idea's...So many lost gems it is truly truly sad...Some of histories BEST concerts were at Cobo Arena...The brains in Detroit are retarded...

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Any way to incorporate Yzerman, Howe or Hockeytown in the arena name?

And BTW, I'll miss knowing the Wings play in the coolest arena name in sports. In today's corporate prison world, to name an arena after a boxing legend is pretty awesome. We'll not see that again I'm afraid.

I'm afraid you are right...that is why Howe, Yzerman will not be in the name. They may have promenades in the Arena, but ya, it'll be "Highest Corporate Bidder" Arena. Money talks...(and helps the cause as well)

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I would hope for a modest 20,000 seats all together. As for a name, I am pining for The Delta Centre. Since taking over Northwest Airlines as the largest carrier in Detroit (in the 4th largest airport in the country) Delta hasn't done too much to become part of the community and really invest some money in Detroit the City outside of Romulus The Airport. The Utah Jazz used to have the Delta Center as the name of their arena, but that was years ago, it has since changed. With a brand new arena, and basically Delta still being "NEW" to the area (I know they flew in and out of here prior, but it was like 6 flights) this would be a great opportunity for both Ilitch and Richard Anderson (Delta CEO) to work together on this to help Detroit grow even more. Of course, with it being a Hockey Arena, I had to switch the ER to RE in CentRE to give it a more Canadian flavor, plus the words Delta Centre flow off the tongue pretty easily.

Then all the Airport Authority and the City of Detroit has to do is connect the city to the airport via an light rail with stops in Dearborn and Comerica/Ford Field and Casino's, then the city will finally start to turn the corner. You will have folks actually FLY in to go to a game, dinner, casino, ride the train back to the Airport the next day or same night, and go home. All that sounds like Cash to the City to me...but then again, there is the corrupt City Council and Anti-Union Bing to deal with and that is a whole other monster!

Mr. Ilitch, Mr. Anderson...The Delta Centre...get it done!

Will the building come with tsa????

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Anyhow, the space where Illitch wants the new Arena is behind the Fox which right now has a few buildings and a bunch of parking used for Tiger Games. I am sure the Arena will encompass everyting between Adams and I-75 and Grand River and Park Ave's. The GAR is under remodel so it will stay as will the Historic Church on 2nd and Columbia...I think the area between Cass and Grand River from Adams all the way up to Columbia should be filled with Shops and Restaurants as well as behind the Church. Somehow incorporating the Old GAR and Church into the whole experience would make that area look awesome! I think He and Ford missed a glorious opportunity to have a setup between the stadiums on Brush Street, if they weren't so close together, there could have been restaurants and bars and shops all up and down Brush in bewteen the two, but now its just a road. And although the view of the city is nice from Comerica, it's time to get rid of the whales on the David Broderick Tower...it's time...

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This sounds really good. I hope they get working on it real soon. I have to agree that the Joe is old technology and very antiquated. Yes I know that there have been a lot of GREAT GREAT Memories there but to be perfectly honest the first time I went to the Joe of a Detroit Red Wings Game in 2000 I really wasn't that impressed with the Joe. It was great to be in it for the first time and have that experince but it really wasn't all that impressive. I've seen much better arenas even smaller Minor/Junior League Arena's that looked better so hopefully this happens soon and in a few years time the Wings will be playin in a Brand Spankin New Arena with all the amenities that a Hockey Arena Needs!!

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If they would let Tiger Stadium be demolished, I see no hope for the Joe.

I'm now on board with a new arena IF they keep the sightlines as awesome as they are now. JLA is 20 minutes from my house - easy freeway on and off; moving the arena will add another 10 minutes to my commute. boooooo. :lol:

I'll miss the Joe. Mr. I better do this right.

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I've never been to the JLA, but I feel like I should go before it's demolished.

So when exactly will the Wings move into the new stadium? I want to know how long I've got.

I would bet we got at least 3 seasons left in the Joe, and hopefully 2 more cups haha.

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Guest Shoreline

I also have a hard time fathoming 18,000 seats.. I'm interested in an explanation of that when the Wings sell out 20,000 easy.

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