76-752: Little Caesars Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Midtown Detroit . Opening on September 5, 2017, the arena, which cost $ 862.9 million to construct, replaced Joe Louis Arena and The Palace of Auburn Hills as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), respectively. The arena features
152-616: A 17-year, $ 5 million annual subsidy was approved by the Michigan Legislature and signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer , which will keep the QLINE free to ride through 2039. Crain's Detroit Business reported that the line would cost $ 137 million, including the purchase of six streetcar vehicles. Bids were expected to include low-floor, air-conditioned vehicles, capable of transporting passengers in wheelchairs. The vehicles have operator's controls at both ends—eliminating
228-804: A doubleheader featuring the Michigan Wolverines playing the Detroit Mercy Titans , and the Michigan State Spartans playing the Oakland Golden Grizzlies . As part of a contract carried over from Joe Louis Arena, Little Caesars Arena hosted the Horizon League 's men's and women's basketball tournaments until 2019, under the blanket title Motor City Madness . Detroit began hosting the men's tournament at Joe Louis Arena in 2016 under
304-588: A few days after Detroit City Council approved a zoning change, allowing vertical construction to officially commence. The Detroit Historic District Commission approved the demolition of the Park Avenue Hotel on June 10, 2015, to make room for what will be the arena's loading dock. Olympia Development claimed that the Park Avenue Hotel stood in a high-security area. A demolition permit was issued on June 22, 2015. Detroit-based Adamo Demolition
380-540: A five-year deal, and the women's tournament in 2017. The tournaments moved to Indianapolis for 2020. Little Caesars Arena hosted first and second-round games during the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament , hosted by the University of Detroit Mercy . Although the nearby Palace of Auburn Hills hosted preliminary rounds of the Tournament in 2013 , this was the Tournament's first visit to Detroit since
456-685: A game at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2024, between its Boston and Ottawa clubs; a crowd of 13,736 watched the game, which is the record for the largest crowd to ever watch a professional women's hockey game in the United States. The PWHL will return to Little Caesars Arena to host a game between the Minnesota Frost and the New York Sirens on March 16, 2025. The first regular season college basketball games held at Little Caesars Arena were played on December 16, 2017, with
532-530: A location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". QLINE The QLINE is a 3.3-mile-long (5.3 km) streetcar system in Detroit , Michigan, United States. Opened on May 12, 2017, it connects Downtown Detroit with Midtown and New Center , running along Woodward Avenue (M-1) for its entire route. The system
608-465: A new district in downtown Detroit composed of offices, residential facilities, and "a new state-of-the-art, multi-purpose events center", with an estimated cost of $ 650 million. In June 2013, the DDA officially announced the location of the new arena and entertainment district. An estimated 58 percent of the cost to construct the arena was to be funded by public tax dollars, about $ 261 million. On July 24, 2013,
684-528: A new headquarters and practice facility within the vicinity of the arena. On November 22, 2016, the Pistons officially announced that they would move to Little Caesars Arena starting with the 2017–18 season. On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena. On August 3, 2017, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official. This marked
760-510: A new horn matching the model previously used at Joe Louis Arena, but using compressed air rather than nitrogen. It was reported in May 2012 that the Red Wings had hired HKS, Inc. and NBBJ to design a new arena for the team, which would replace Joe Louis Arena. The new arena would be owned by the city's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and its land would be leased to Olympia Entertainment ,
836-431: A record of decision allowing the project to move forward. In December 2011, the federal government withdrew its support for the proposed line, in favor of a bus rapid transit system which would serve the city and suburbs. This decision arose out of discussions between federal Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood , Detroit Mayor Dave Bing and Governor Rick Snyder . The private investors who had initially supported
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#1732790335869912-457: A single complex, the other being Philadelphia . On October 8, 2017, as a byproduct of the move, Olympia Entertainment and Palace Sports & Entertainment formed 313 Presents LLC , a joint venture that handles entertainment bookings and event management at the venues owned by both companies. Little Caesars Arena opened on September 5, 2017, with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Red Wings played their inaugural game at Little Caesars Arena during
988-706: A six-year deal that extended their series. The games rotated between Little Caesars Arena and the Breslin Center . The first game was played at the arena on December 14, 2019, while the second game was played on December 21, 2021. The third and final game was originally scheduled to take place in 2023. However, it was moved to the Breslin Center as the Spartans instead played the Baylor Bears at Little Caesars Arena on December 16, 2023. The third game in
1064-717: A subsidiary of the Red Wings' parent company, Ilitch Holdings , rent free for a long term. Olympia would have full operational control of the arena, an arrangement similar to the one Olympia had with the city-owned Joe Louis Arena. Sales of game tickets, parking, concessions, souvenirs, and any potential naming rights deals would not be subject to revenue sharing with the City of Detroit as they were with Joe Louis Arena. The city earned an average of $ 7 million per year through these revenue sharing agreements. Olympia Entertainment officially announced in December 2012 its intention to develop
1140-401: A time in two-car trains; each train would carry 150 people. The trains would run in a dedicated right-of-way in the median from 8 Mile to Adams Street at the north end of downtown. South of Adams, the trains would run in mixed traffic along the sides of the street. The estimated cost for the proposed line was $ 500 million. The Kresge Foundation awarded a $ 35 million grant to
1216-642: A time, with trains arriving every 15 minutes or less. Service runs seven days a week, beginning at 8 a.m. daily: trains run through midnight Monday-Saturday, and through 9 p.m. on Sundays. There is currently no charge to ride the QLine, as its operations are supported by a subsidy from the State of Michigan. The system's original fare, instituted in September 2017, was $ 1.50; it was raised to $ 2 in October 2019, when
1292-506: A unique, clear plastic roofed concourse connecting it to offices and shops surrounding it. It was designed to be the flagship of a new $ 2.1 billion 650,000-square-foot (60,000 m) sports and entertainment district, The District Detroit, with mixed-use neighborhoods with new residential and retail outlets located around the Cass Corridor , Ford Field , and Comerica Park . However, this has yet to materialize. Little Caesars Arena
1368-588: A year later, a match was recorded for Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey following the live SmackDown at the arena on December 27, 2019. SmackDown was originally scheduled to return on March 13, 2020, but the show (and all other WWE programming) was called off and relocated to the WWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Raw returned on December 27, 2021, for
1444-476: Is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for the usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such
1520-429: Is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as
1596-403: Is higher than the 32.5 percent national average of similar downtown city rail systems. On March 28, 2020, the QLINE suspended service, due to low ridership amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Service resumed in September 2021 without fares, with financial support from Penske and The Kresge Foundation . In November 2021, QLINE ended its contract with Transdev and became directly operated. In 2022,
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#17327903358691672-411: Is not occurring inside the arena, allowing it to also be used as a venue of its own. There is also an outdoor plaza with a large video display. The eight-story arena is built as a bowl, with its floor 40 feet (12 m) below street level with seating capacities of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball. The bowl also features a "gondola" seating level suspended above the stands. The exterior of
1748-450: Is overseeing the project continues to be named M-1 Rail. The first streetcar was delivered in September 2016. The first test move over the line took place on December 13, and the streetcar was initially towed (not yet run under its own power, except at the maintenance facility). Transdev was awarded a five-year contract to operate the line. The QLine opened for public use on May 12, 2017. Although initially slated to be free only for
1824-490: The 2017–18 season , pending city and league approval. Pistons owner Tom Gores , Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman Arn Tellem , and Olympia Entertainment had been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with talks intensifying just as the Pistons were set to open their 2016–17 season ; the terms also included a possible merger between Olympia and the Pistons' holding company Palace Sports & Entertainment. The Pistons sought land to construct
1900-686: The Big Ten women's basketball tournament in 2028. Little Caesars Arena hosted UFC 218 on December 2, 2017. The 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were held at the arena, hosted by the University of Michigan. Little Caesars Arena hosted the 2019 U.S. Figure Skating Championships . In its first WWE event, Little Caesars Arena hosted the pay-per-view Hell in a Cell on October 8, 2017, followed by its first Raw broadcast on March 12, 2018. Raw returned on December 28, 2018, to pre-record an episode aired on New Year's Eve . Nearly
1976-628: The Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such a facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with the type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of
2052-581: The QLINE streetcar, was primarily built on vacant land near the Cass Corridor along Woodward Avenue , and would incorporate five distinct neighborhoods with new residential and apartment units and European-influenced designs. The district would also feature a hotel, new restaurants, and new retail outlets. Olympia Development would fund the refurbishment of public infrastructure around the arena district, such as street lighting, sidewalks, and paving. One of
2128-682: The Tacoma Link ) called the M-1 Rail Line. After much wrangling between the private investors and the DDOT, the two groups decided to work in tandem on developing DDOT's 9.3-mile (15.0 km) line. The proposed line ran 9.3 miles (15.0 km) along Woodward Avenue from the Rosa Parks Transit Center to the old State Fairgrounds along 8 Mile Road . The line would have had 19 stops with 10 cars running at
2204-491: The 1987 opening of the competing Detroit People Mover system. In 2006 the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) commissioned a study to determine expanded mass transit options along Woodward Avenue . Concurrently, a private group of local business leaders decided to provide matching funds to government dollars to develop a $ 125 million, 3.4-mile (5.5 km) line through central Detroit (similar to
2280-471: The DPSCD against Davis, to move forward. The DDA, which owns the arena, uses an estimated $ 15 million annually in state school taxes to repay Michigan State. On February 11, 2016, it was reported that a local businessman had sold the domain name "littlecaesarsarena.com" three weeks earlier to an international brokerage firm for "five figures", which suggested that Little Caesars , a pizza chain also owned by
2356-610: The Hornets, was played on October 18, 2017. The Pistons beat the Hornets 102–90. Upon moving to Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons unveiled a new basketball court featuring the Platinum Equity logo in place of the LCA logo, making them the only NBA team not to display any arena signage on the court. In the inaugural season of Little Caesars Arena, concerns were raised over diminished attendance of Red Wings and Pistons games. During
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2432-507: The Ilitch family, had acquired the naming rights to the new arena. Olympia Entertainment officially announced on April 28, 2016, that the venue would be known as Little Caesars Arena. It was also revealed that a large Little Caesars logo would be displayed on the arena's roof; the previous plan for the LED roof was dismissed as being a "placeholder". Chris Ilitch defended the decision of not selling
2508-679: The Little Caesars Arena property. As of 2024, beyond a new Little Caesars world headquarters across from Comerica Park, the Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business neighboring Little Caesars Arena (both of which have ties to the Ilitch family), and an office building, little of the promised redevelopment tied to the arena has materialized. It was originally announced that Little Caesars Arena would cost $ 450 million to construct, on top of an additional $ 200 million for constructing
2584-581: The M-1 Rail Penske Tech Center, which serves as headquarters for the QLine and the garage for the streetcars. In September 2021, the southbound curb lane from Temple Street to West Fisher Service Drive was converted to a transit-only lane to be used by the QLine, DDOT and SMART to increase headways . SMART 261 FAST Michigan, 461/462 FAST Woodward, 563 FAST Gratiot, 255, 530, 620, 635, 805, 830, & 851; Transit Windsor Tunnel Bus The QLine generally operates four trains at
2660-509: The Michigan Strategic Fund approved the DDA's request for $ 650 million in funding. Christopher Ilitch unveiled renderings of the new arena and entertainment district on July 20, 2014, referring to it as The District Detroit . He explained that the project's goal was to "build out a sports and entertainment district that is world-class and rivals anything in the country, perhaps the world." The district, which would complement
2736-434: The Red Wings' first regular season game at the arena, the sight of a half empty lower bowl was noticeable due to it being nationally televised. When asked about this, Olympia CEO Tom Wilson explained that many fans went to the concourse to check out the arena, noting that the same thing happened during the first event. In early November 2017, the team announced that all of the home games played at that point were sellouts despite
2812-833: The Woodward Avenue overpasses for both I-75 and I-94 freeways will be demolished during construction of the rail line, and that new wider bridges will be built. On July 20, 2014, the Ilitch family, owner of Olympia Development of Michigan, and major investor in M-1 Rail, announced that the streetcar line would include a stop at the new Little Caesars Arena in Midtown. M-1 Rail officially started construction on July 28, 2014. The streetcar line would stretch from downtown Detroit to Grand Boulevard in New Center. There would be 20 different stations serving 12 stops, with most of
2888-483: The arena began to go up in late fall. Construction of the ice surface began on January 5, 2017. On February 16, 2017, various construction changes began inside the arena in order to accommodate the Detroit Pistons. Construction of the ice rink began on March 8, 2017. In late October 2016, it was reported that the Pistons were considering a move from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena as soon as
2964-569: The arena to be an "epicenter" for hockey, prospecting it as a site for events and tournaments at the college and junior levels such as the IIHF World Junior Championship and the Memorial Cup . Wilson also stated its commitment to continue hosting the annual collegiate Great Lakes Invitational at the arena, provided the universities involved maintained their desire to participate. A formal groundbreaking ceremony
3040-460: The arena's design. Christopher Ilitch described the arena's design as being "revolutionary", and believes that it may influence future arena designs in other cities. The arena features a centerhung scoreboard that measures at 5,100 square feet (470 m). The arena also features 45 LED displays covering more than 13,500 square feet (1,250 m) and 16.5 million plus LEDs in and around it. The goal horn used at Joe Louis Arena from 1994 to 2017
3116-469: The bowl structure is capable of displaying video projections. A 37,300-square-foot (3,470 m) practice ice rink is also inside the arena. In addition to serving as the practice facility for the Red Wings, the rink serves as the home of both Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club and Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League as well. The Bell Centre in Montreal has been cited to be one of the biggest influences of
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3192-644: The city for the project in March 2009. It received $ 25 million in funding from the United States Department of Transportation in February 2010. The Detroit City Council approved the sale of $ 125 million in bonds on April 11, 2011. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the City of Detroit signed an environmental impact study on July 1, 2011. Finally, on August 31, 2011, the FTA signed
3268-635: The city hosted the 2009 Final Four at Ford Field. The Tournament returned to the arena for the Midwest Regional in 2024. The Tournament will return to the arena again for the Midwest Regional in 2028. The Tournament was originally slated to return in 2021. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were relocated. On July 17, 2019, the Michigan State Spartans and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies announced
3344-453: The city, and 8,300 new jobs would be created for the construction process. Olympia was committed to having 51% of the construction jobs be filled by residents of Detroit. Additionally, two Michigan-based contractors would be among those working on the arena, and 80% of the materials used in the construction of the arena was also to be sourced from Michigan-based companies when possible. Olympia Entertainment CEO Tom Wilson described an intent for
3420-716: The companies reason to believe the rail lines would be taken over, they were discouraged from maintaining the lines, which meant that Detroiters had "inherited a giant money pit" when the city eventually voted to buy them. That and the Department of Street Railways' introduction of buses from 1925 ultimately led to the demise of the original streetcar system in 1956. A short 0.7-mile (1.1 km) vintage streetcar gauge line in 900 mm ( 2 ft 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 in ) gauge opened in 1976 along Washington Boulevard , using seven former Lisbon tramcars and two from England and Switzerland , all originally built in
3496-413: The early 20th century. Built at a cost of roughly $ 1.5 million (equivalent to $ 6.25 million in 2023 ), the line initially ran between Grand Circus Park and Philip A. Hart Plaza near Cobo Center . The line was extended a further 0.3 miles (0.48 km) along Jefferson Avenue in 1980. It ended service in 2003. Ridership at one time had seen 800 daily passengers, but declined to under 200 after
3572-434: The fall. On December 20, 2013, M-1 Rail began underground utility relocation work along Woodward Avenue, the first step toward full-fledged construction activities of the 3.3-mile (5.3 km) streetcar line, with construction scheduled to start in mid-2014. Stacy & Witbeck were formally awarded the contract to construct the M-1 Rail streetcar line on July 31, 2013. M-1 Rail officials announced on July 3, 2014, that
3648-457: The final episode of the year. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) hosted its first event at Little Caesars Arena on June 29, 2022, including a live broadcast of Dynamite , featuring the second Blood & Guts special and match , and tapings of Rampage and Dark: Elevation . Arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It
3724-523: The first time since 1974 that all four of Detroit's major league sports teams played in the city limits on a regular basis, and the first time since 1978 that the Pistons played in the city of Detroit on a regular basis. The move also marked the first time since 1961 that they and the Red Wings shared the same arena on a regular basis. The move made Detroit the only U.S. city to have four major league sports teams in its downtown district, and one of only two U.S. cities to have four major league sports teams play in
3800-434: The first weekend, the streetcar's free period was later extended for a week, and later until July 1, and again until Labor Day 2017. Ridership for the opening week was 50,000, with a peak of 8,300 during the weekend and 5,120 Monday through Thursday. Daily ridership dropped to 3,000 when the payment service began on September 5, 2017. The percentage of riders actually paying was 40 percent, which QLine spokesman Dan Lijana said
3876-647: The former Red Wings player. The 2017–18 edition of the Great Lakes Invitational moved to the arena for the first time from January 1–2, 2018. The 2020 NCAA Men's Frozen Four was scheduled to be held at Little Caesars Arena, hosted by Michigan State University . However, on March 12, 2020, the NCAA announced that all championships for the season would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) hosted
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#17327903358693952-588: The larger arenas hold more spectators than do the stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but the facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There
4028-469: The line not equipped with overhead wire. The first Brookville-built streetcar was delivered in September 2016, with the last two of the six cars delivered in March 2017. The last car of Detroit's previous streetcar system was numbered 286, so it was decided to number the new cars 287-292 , to pick up where the old number series had left off. The QLine traverses Woodward Avenue in its entirety from downtown through Midtown to New Center. The line begins at
4104-477: The naming rights to a third-party company, arguing that it was meant to reflect Little Caesars' position as a "legacy business" of the Ilitch family. The announcement was poorly received. Prior to the unveiling of the official name, some fans suggested to The Detroit News that the arena should have been named after Gordie Howe . Following Howe's death on June 10, 2016, an online petition began to circulate requesting that Little Caesars Arena be renamed in honor of
4180-524: The need for the vehicles to turn around for their return trips. On November 4, 2014, M-1 announced that Czechia -based Inekon had been awarded a $ 30 million contract for six vehicles. Upon that deal falling apart, M-1 Rail instead awarded a $ 32 million contract to Pennsylvania -based Brookville Equipment Corporation . The purchase includes six articulated , three-section, 66-foot-long (20.12 m) cars, equipped with 750-volt rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for off-wire movement on sections of
4256-485: The neighborhoods, referred to by Ilitch as "Wildcat Corner", would incorporate the area occupied by the Tigers and Lions ' home venues of Comerica Park and Ford Field, respectively, and replace several parking lots with new apartment complexes featuring street-level retail outlets. Ilitch emphasized the impact of the arena district project would have on Detroit's economy: the new facilities would result in 1,000 new jobs in
4332-501: The new Pistons headquarters without a public vote. The money had originally been approved by voters only for use by Detroit Public Schools Community District to cover operational expenses. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith dismissed much of the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue over the issue. The judge did, however, allow an unrelated count, alleging violations of the Equal Protection Clause by
4408-402: The new district. $ 285 million of the total $ 650 million cost would be public funds, with $ 365.5 million in private funding. On May 23, 2017, it was reported that the cost of the arena had risen to $ 862.9 million. In June 2017, a lawsuit was filed by Robert Davis and city clerk candidate D. Etta Wilcoxon, seeking to prohibit the use of school property tax revenue to fund Little Caesars Arena and
4484-399: The opening of the line would be delayed until around mid 2017, partially because of new federal safety standards that are coming into effect, as well as a construction slowdown during the previous winter and delays in building the rolling stock. QLine was announced as the official name for the line in March 2016, after Quicken Loans bought naming rights , but the non-profit organization that
4560-632: The preseason against the Boston Bruins on September 23, 2017. They won the game 5–1. They played their first regular season game at the arena on October 5, 2017, against the Minnesota Wild . The Red Wings won the game 4–2. The Pistons played their inaugural game at Little Caesars Arena during the preseason against the Charlotte Hornets on October 4, 2017. They lost the game 108–106. Their regular season home opener, also against
4636-594: The region, announced the plan for a streetcar line along part of the same route as the cancelled light rail plan, connecting the downtown Detroit People Mover to the Amtrak railway station in New Center and the proposed Ann Arbor–Detroit Regional Rail system. Rocket Mortgage (then known as Quicken Loans ) bought the naming rights to the line, and announced the name in March 2016. Detroit's first streetcar service began in 1863 with horsecars . Electrification of
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#17327903358694712-649: The series to be played at Little Caesars Arena will take place on December 17, 2024. The 2020 Big3 championship game was scheduled to be held at Little Caesars Arena on August 29, 2020. However, on May 18, 2020, the Big3 announced that the 2020 season would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On November 11, 2022, the Michigan Wolverines and the Eastern Michigan Eagles played at Little Caesars Arena. Little Caesars Arena will host
4788-464: The sight of empty seats. Like the Red Wings, the Pistons have had similar issues. When asked about it, they stated that ticket sales were up despite the empty seats. In October 2018, it was announced that all of the arena's red seats would be replaced by black ones. Media outlets noted that the red seats made the sight of empty seats appear more obvious. In August 2018, Google relocated a regional sales office from Birmingham to leased office space on
4864-464: The smaller three-mile (4.8 km) M-1 Rail line to New Center stated that they would continue developing that project through the nonprofit M-1 Rail Consortium. The cancelled 9.3-mile (15.0 km) proposal would have featured seven additional stops north of Grand Boulevard, where the QLine now ends. On January 18, 2013, U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced that M-1 Rail would receive $ 25 million in federal grant support for
4940-434: The southern terminus at Congress Street in the median before tracks swing to the curbside for most of its length. (Some parts of the line have tracks running down the middle travel lane of Woodward in downtown.) After traveling in the curbside travel lane, the line swings back into the inside travel lane (median) at Amsterdam all the way to the line's northern terminus at Grand Boulevard. Non-revenue tracks continue two blocks to
5016-458: The stations being curbside on either side of Woodward Avenue going uptown or downtown, but changing to center road stations at the north and south ends of the system. At the time, the streetcar line was expected to be operational in late 2016. During the planning of the service, Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert advocated strongly for a curb-running design. One participant said, "They were not looking for speed or reliability... their number one goal
5092-404: The streetcar maintenance facility. The tech center building is sited close to Woodward Avenue, and located between Bethune and Custer streets north and east of Grand Boulevard with the streetcar storage yard behind. The exterior is made of reddish brick to mimic the historical look and feel of the surrounding neighborhood, and was completed in May 2016. In August 2015, M-1 Rail officials said that
5168-556: The streetcar project. He had previously committed to the funds on the condition that a regional transit authority was created for the Detroit area. In late 2012, the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan was created by state law, which enabled LaHood's approval. On April 22, 2013, the project received final environmental clearance from the federal government, with construction expected to start in
5244-411: The streetcar system followed, starting in 1886. Detroit's streetcar lines eventually saw their operations consolidated under the privately owned Detroit United Railway . Municipal takeover and control of the streetcar network by Detroit's Department of Street Railways followed in 1922. Detroit Mayor Hazen S. Pingree had led the charge years before to have the city take over operations. Since that gave
5320-425: Was designed by HOK , and features a unique "deconstructed" layout. Buildings housing retail outlets, including several restaurants, the arena's box office, and the offices of the Red Wings are built outside the arena, but a glass roof is erected between the buildings and the arena itself. The roof forms an indoor "street" that serves as the arena's concourse . The concourse will remain open year-round, even if an event
5396-420: Was developed by M-1 Rail , a nonprofit organization, and is owned and operated by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan . In December 2011, city and state leaders announced a plan to offer bus rapid transit service for the city and metropolitan area instead of light rail as had previously been proposed. Soon afterwards, M-1 Rail, a consortium of private and public businesses and institutions in
5472-572: Was held at the arena site on September 25, 2014. Following the completion of the new arena, Joe Louis Arena was demolished, and its former site was to be redeveloped into a hotel and retail complex. The sale of the Joe Louis Arena site came as part of a bankruptcy settlement between the Financial Guaranty Insurance Company and the city of Detroit. Mass excavation at the arena site began on April 24, 2015,
5548-494: Was made public. Approximately 60 percent of the line is not equipped with overhead electrical wires, and the streetcars are powered solely from lithium-ion batteries on that section. On February 15, 2015, M-1 Rail reported that the Penske Tech Center was under construction in New Center. The $ 6.9 million, 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m ) structure serves as the M-1 Rail headquarters, the operations center, and
5624-414: Was not moved to Little Caesars Arena, as it was determined that its acoustics would have made it all but impossible to hear, and that its use of nitrogen in its operation made it unsafe to use in the new building. An amplified recording of the horn was played over the sound system instead, in a move that received mixed reviews from Red Wings fans. Ahead of the 2023–24 season , Little Caesars Arena installed
5700-565: Was the boost in property values." On September 9, 2014, the US DOT announced that M-1 Rail would receive an additional $ 12.2 million in federal grant money to complete the financing of the M-1 Rail project. US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx gave the keynote address at a rail signing ceremony on September 15, 2014, at Grand Circus Park . Local officials were in attendance as were executives of local businesses who were sponsoring stations near their places of business. A new official map
5776-399: Was the contractor listed on the permit. Despite protests, the building was imploded on July 11, 2015. On August 30, 2015, Olympia Entertainment announced that an estimated 488,000 cubic yards (373,000 m) of soil had been excavated in recent months for the below-grade bowl, and hundreds of deep pier foundations were being drilled and filled with concrete through September. The steel frame of
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