During their tour, Red Wings players and coaches talked with crew members, signed autographs, posed for photos and shared their appreciation for everyone working to make the team's new home the best arena in the league.
With more than 800 construction workers on site daily, Little Caesars Arena is one of the largest and most exciting construction projects underway in Detroit. The crew is making amazing progress, and the arena is on track to open for the 2017-2018 Red Wings season.
The arena's structural steel frame and precast concrete installation are nearly complete. Work on buildings for new restaurants, shops, bars, offices and residential around the main structure is also well underway, with foundation concrete and structural steel completed recently on two new retail and office buildings on Woodward Avenue and Henry Street. A portion of these buildings will house Red Wings administration.
The clear-covered Via concourse that surrounds the arena bowl will also bring new shops and restaurants to The District Detroit's Woodward Square neighborhood creating a unique, year-round shopping and dining space.
Framework for the innovative jewel skin (which will feature theatrical lighting and projected images continues to be installed and is highly visible from Woodward Avenue. The Michigan Made, Detroit Built project has awarded more than $320 million in contracts (60 percent) to Detroit businesses and more than $500 million in contracts (more than 90 percent) to Michigan businesses. Detroiters have worked more than 250,000 hours to help build the arena. More than 100 apprentices have spent time working on the site, learning and earning along the way.
The District Detroit will ultimately account for a total economic impact of more than $2 billion and create more than 12,500 construction and construction-related jobs in addition to 1,100 permanent jobs.
About The District Detroit The District Detroit is made up of a dynamic mix of sports and entertainment venues, including six world-class theatres and three professional sports venues - home to the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers and the Detroit Lions. The District Detroit will also feature retail and residential developments, offices and hotels that connect these venues into one contiguous, walkable area, where families, sports fans, entrepreneurs, job seekers, entertainment lovers and others who crave a vibrant urban setting can connect with each other and the city they love. A Michigan Made, Detroit Built project, The District Detroit continues to transform lives by bringing jobs and opportunity to people and businesses across the city, region and state.
