I have a very good feeling that something extraordinary is about to happen in downtown Detroit. Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Redwings is in the process of buying the Detroit Pistons. This seems to be unheard of! How could a man spread his wealth so far and cover all three of these professional teams in a downward economy??
In my opinion Mr. Ilitch is making one of the best moves of his career. Not only will be able to bring new development to downtown Detroit but he will be bringing all four professional sports teams to downtown, in turn helping out the sunken economy.
Here are my thoughts on why this is a genius idea:
Mr. Ilitch will create a brand new sports arena to house both the Detroit Pistons and the Detroit Redwings. Lets face it, "The Joe" is old, rundown and out dated. There is a perfect piece of land next to and around the Fox Theater which would be a perfect location for this Arena. Not only would Ilitch have three of his sports teams within a stones throw from each other, he'd hold 80% plus of Detroit's entertainment. Think about it, where would a concert in Detroit be held? Commerica Park and this new arena. Mr. Ilitch has connections with the city of Detroit so I don't believe that zoning coordinates would become a factor. He would be producing multiple jobs for the city as well. Where is the Detroit Auto Show held every year? Cobo Hall, which Ilitch also has his fingers intertwined in. Not only would Mr. Ilitch be bringing money to Detroit with his sports teams and their facilities, utilizing a basketball/hockey arena but also he'd be bringing in money and jobs to Detroit through the entertainment.
I feel this is a great move for the Pistons. Ilitch wants to win, he will fork out the cash in order to win. We've seen it with the Tigers! I feel this could be the blossoming to a brilliant near future for downtown and surrounding Detroit.
I heard the new ballpark would be off the highway on Woodward, but we can only speculate for now. Ilitch is spreading his empire very thin, and despite him being very rich, three teams and a new arena will be pretty expensive.
ReplyDeleteI love how much he loves Detroit and is trying to help, and he is one of the best advocates for Michigan. But eventually he will have to try to find some cash out of no where for all three teams. The Wings are doing well, but the Pistons and Tigers are trying to shed cash and sell tickets in this economy.
He has won with the Wings, but not the Tigers. One wild card run isn't consistent winning. It is for the Tiger's standards if you count the late 90's.
Not all three teams will get all they need, but the Pistons will be better off to have a new owner, and both the Wings and Pistons need a new arena. It is a mixed bag.