Interesting news today coming from Crain’s Detroit, where they are reporting that the Pistons will be sold to Mike Illitch. The Red Wings and Tigers boss, now reportedly would grab three of the four major pro sports teams in town and you have to figure that this signals the end of the NBA team in town playing in Auburn Hills. Illitch has had a vision of building a new downtown arena, and now, if this report is true, he has all the cards stacked in his favor to get that done. Crain’s reports that negotiations continue and that the sale price for the team is not yet known. A source tells me that plans have been in place for a long time for the Red Wings to play at the Palace at some point, and now that same source is telling me “I told you so”.
This is great news for the Pistons and for the city of Detroit. Ilitch is a Michigan hero and bringing the Pistons downtown to play in a new stadium alongside the Redwings will provide another chance to spread the downtown outward. Someone that I trust told me that the stadium will most likely be built right behind the Fox Theatre and then they'll build some walking bridges to connect it to the water and Mrs. Ilitch's casino. I know that sports teams aren't enough to rebuild a city but they're one of the only things we have going for us and combining that with the availability of land that is absolutely unheard of in Boston, Chicago, or New York and the possibilities are endless. Once this thing gets built and bars and restaurants follow, I don't think it's unheard of to think that there will be a livable downtown Detroit in the next 5-6 years. I just hope they put a rush on building this thing cause in the meantime it's gonna be a long drive out to the Palace to watch the Wings.
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