Detroit Red Wings New Arena Threatens Park Avenue Hotel

The community in Detroit may cause a slow down to the construction of the new Detroit Red Wings area. The area which was announced early in the year has caused concern that the construction could be the end of the historic Park Avenue Hotel. The Red Wings are scheduled to move from Joe Louis Arena to the new arena at the start of the 2017-2018 season.

Joe Louis Arena was opened December 12, 1979 and was completed 19 days early. The Joe as it is commonly referred to has been home to the Red Wings since 1979 when they moved from Olympia Stadium. The Joe also houses college hockey tournaments, and concerts among other things that aren’t the Red Wings team. The Red Wings have won four Stanley Cups and have made the playoffs 23 years straight while playing at Joe Louis Arena.

The new 450 million dollar arena would be paid by public funds as much as up to 285 million dollars. In June of 2013 a vote was passed that would allow the building of the new arena to happen. In a press release that same year the layout of the new arena was explained.

"“The multipurpose event center is anticipated to be an approximately 650,000 sq. ft. facility with 18,000 seats that can accommodate Red Wings hockey games, as well as other sports and entertainment events year-round.” — The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation Press Release"

However Detroit City Council members have found concern that the Park Avenue Hotel could be torn down due to the new arena and call to have the land rezoned to save the historic hotel from being torn down. Some people call for the historic hotel to be left alone while some call for the refurbishing of the hotel to make it less of an “eye sore” in down town. City Council members will now battle to protect the historic hotel, the hope would be that the battle won’t slow down the construction of the new arena.

If you have been a Detroit sports fan for as long as I have, which is 20 years but only 15 that I actually remember, you never got to see Tigers Stadium, Olympia Stadium, or The Silver Dome. Your stadiums are Comerica Park, The Palace of Auburn Hills and Ford Field and Joe Louis Arena. With the Joe being gone in the next two years I highly suggest you go see a game whether it is a Red Wings game or a college hockey game it is worth the experience.

What do you guys think should be done with the Park Avenue Hotel? Demolish it or refurbish it? Keep it as it is? Let us know.