Progress Continues on $627M Detroit Red Wings Arena

Half of the foundation concrete for the upcoming Red Wings arena site has been poured, and over 900 pieces of structural steel has been placed on the Red Wings Arena site, reports MLive. The $627 million project is expected to open by the start of the 2017 NHL season with $200 million of development around the arena. What you should expect from the 785,000-square-foot facility includes 20,000 seats, an ice rink, track, public plaza, locker rooms, training facilities, and a player walkthrough area. If interested in seeing the progress of the construction, you can find an up-to-date webcam here.

The contentious project came under fire this past July when John Oliver on HBO's Last Week Tonight television show criticized Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Red Wings, for accepting $240 million from Detroit for the project, despite having declared bankruptcy days after entering the deal and despite Ilitch having a net worth of approximately $5.1 billion. The arena is part of a $650 million, 45-block redevelopment that will transform the surrounding neighborhoods with more retail, restaurants, and residential and office spaces. A study by University of Michigan expects the project to bring 8,300 construction jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs, and create $1.8 billion in economic impact, according to a Curbed Detroit article published July 2015.

Below, you will be able to see all the renderings for the project:

· See progress at new Red Wings arena site in Detroit [MLive]
· All coverage on the new Red Wings Arena [Curbed Detroit]