The Arena in Town

By Allison Johnson, Zach Kaechle, and Kayla Zygmontowicz

Joe Louis Arena was a downtown Detroit arena that had completed construction in 1979. It was one of the longest-running arenas in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). The arena then closed in 2017 with the Detroit Red Wings finishing their last season there. In 2015 Little Caesars Arena finished construction and opened to the public in September of 2017.

Joe Louis Arena was an iconic part of Detroit's history. The Red Wings had been playing there from 1979 to 2017. The arena hosted the 1994 US Figure Skating Championship, the 2006 WNBA finals championship games, the 1980 RNC, and three Frozen Four college hockey games. 

Joe Louis Arena hosted many events. However, the arena's location close to Cobo Hall had a pedestrian problem when events were over, seeing spikes in traffic as people left Cobo Hall and Joe Louis at the same time. It also had issues with accessibility for people with disabilities. The stairs were considered too steep and a safety hazard.

The closing of Joe Louis Arena ultimately came down to an urban development decision. Detroit wanted to revitalize its downtown. Having Comerica Park, Ford Field, and a third stadium within close proximity would make downtown the place to be for sports and entertainment. With this trifecta of sports arenas, Detroit could host all the major sports. It would mean a boost to the economy from ticket sales and tourism.

In 2012, the plan for the arena to be named after Little Caesars was revealed to the public. In 2013, the plan was approved by the city of Detroit, and the developers were given up to 450 million in bonds by the Michigan Strategic Fund Board. Unfortunately, the estimated costs for the arena went up from 650 million to around 800 million. Construction finished in 2017. The first event held at the arena was a Kid Rock concert. 

The success of Little Caesars Arena was immediate with customers praising the design and updated features. Better disability accommodations made the arena more accessible compared. The seats were more spacious and comfortable.

The tour guide Jamie during our trip to Little Caesars Arena gave insightful information about the arena's features. She told us that during concerts, the seating area in the front could be moved manually and used as a backstage space. Seats can also be adjusted to make them more wheelchair accessible.

Jamie said that Little Caesars Arena had the largest seamless center-hung scoreboard system. The scoreboard is 43.5 feet wide by 28 feet high and has 16.5 million LEDs. It is designed in a 4 square grid system, which creates a 360-degree view from all sides of the arena. For concerts, the scoreboard can be used to broadcast the performance, allowing everyone to enjoy the event regardless of where they sit.

Banners from Joe Louis Arena are exhibited at the training facility. The banners show each year the Red Wings won a Stanley Cup championship. The last time they won a Stanley Cup was the 2007-2008 year.

Detroit has a rich history of cultural and industrial innovations. Arenas in Detroit were named after local icons, showcasing pride in the city. However, in recent years, these arenas were renamed and refurbished, with Detroit's cultural legacy discontinued. Joe Louis became Little Caesars Arena, Tiger Stadium became Comerica Park and Pontiac Silverdome became Ford Field. This corporate takeover has shifted the focus from the people to the corporations. It is time for us to put Detroit's legacy before the highest bidder.

The Pontiac Silverdome finished construction on August 23, 1975. It was created to be a home for the Detroit Lions and later also became the home for the Detroit Pistons. The idea behind putting the Silverdome in Pontiac was to revitalize the city and bring up revenue. The stadium hosted many famous events such as Wrestlemania III, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Superbowl XVI, and the mass with Pope John Paul II. This meant a lot to the people of Pontiac. One Reddit user says, “I remember a lot of Green Bay games and yelling at Reggie White and Favre from the end zone while they warmed up”.

After the Pontiac Silverdome was demolished, a new home for the Pistons was planned in downtown Detroit. Joe Louis Arena, active from 1979 to 2017, was a historic arena and one of the oldest arenas in NHL history. It was also iconic for not having a corporate name but instead being named after a famous athlete from Detroit. According to Detroit Historical, it hosted 20,000 people for hockey and 21,000 people for concerts. In 1980, Joe Louis Arena hosted the RNC, where Ronald Reagan received the nomination for president. 

Bob Lavens was a fan of Joe Louis Arena. He attended numerous Red Wings games there. “I went to many hockey games at JLA, when the Red Wings won the last 3 Stanley Cups. I liked the arena because we got preferential parking and treatment. The staff and I were close. it was a personal experience”.

The Detroit Tigers went through a similar change as the Detroit Pistons. The Detroit Tigers played at Tigers Stadium, another famous longstanding arena heavily associated with the history of Detroit, from 1912 to 1999. The stadium was owned by the Ilitch family.

Tigers Stadium was demolished in 2008. Its replacement, Comerica Park, opened in 2000. Again, the venue was rebranded for corporate advertising. According to Ballpark Digest, Comerica Bank agreed in 1997 to pay 66 million over the course of thirty years to have the name rights to the arena. Comerica Park cost $300 million. The Comerica Bank sponsorship covered about one-fifth of the cost. The owner, Mike Ilitch, paid 185 million for the project. The City of Detroit paid the remaining 49 million with tax money. 

Little Caesars Arena cost 863 million dollars to build, including $403 million in public subsidiaries. The Olympia Development of Michigan, owned by the Ilitch family, paid the remaining. The split is around 60% private investment and 40% public funding.

Tax dollars should not be going to a sports stadium when the city could put that money into something more directly beneficial for taxpayers, such as public transportation and public schools. While arenas like Little Caesars and Comerica Park create revenue for the city by bringing in tourists and sports fans, there isn’t a direct correlation between the money made from sports arenas to the general public.

These brand name changes have also removed Detroit's history. Joe Louis Arena was named after the famous Detroit Boxer. Now, the arena is under the name of a corporation you can find in all 50 states and over 18 countries. At Comerica Park, there is a patch of land from Tiger Stadium and a hall of fame dedicated to the history of baseball. The connection to Detroit seems to be an afterthought to the corporate takeover.

These changes undermine Detroit's legacy as the home of champions, songwriters, political activists, and actors. The people of Detroit paid for these stadiums. Instead of representing Detroit's history, these landmarks are used for corporate advertising.