Ilitch Holdings Moving Forward With Arena Plan?

Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch announced his support via press release for a “multi-purpose events center” as part of a larger development in downtown Detroit today.

“It’s always been my dream to once again see a vibrant downtown Detroit. From the time we bought the Fox Theatre, I could envision a downtown where the streets were bustling and people were energized.It’s been a slow process at times, but we’re getting there now and a lot of great people are coming together to make it happen. It’s going to happen and I want to keep us moving toward that vision.”

Officials from Ilitch’s Olympia Development were in Lansing to outline their plan for “a $650 milllion-dollar mixed use development in downtown, anchored by a ‘new, state of the art, multi-purpose events center.'”

While the tenant of that events center was not stated, it is widely believed to be a possible new home for the Red Wings. Ilitch has been working for years to build a replacement for the aging Joe Louis Arena.