Insider's Look At The New Little Caesars Arena: Get Your First Glimpse [PHOTOS]
New photos updating the construction on Little Caesars Arena have been released, and this place looks insane.
The new home of the Detroit Red Wings is quickly coming together, and features are now becoming visible less than a year from the arena's grand opening.
Construction Updates -- Michigan Made, Detroit Built
• Little Caesars Arena has more than 700 workers on site six days a week
• More than 100 apprentices have worked on the site so far, learning and earning
• Detroiters have worked more than 230,000 hours on the site already
• More than $320 million in contracts have been awarded to Detroit-based businesses, representing nearly 60 percent of total contracts, and more than $512 million, or 90 percent of contracts, have been awarded to Michigan businesses
Arena Construction Factoids
• The steel structure of the 20,000-seat arena is made up of 7,500 beams totaling nearly 10,000 tons
• Structural Precast Concrete -- 504 Pieces placed (of 760 total)
• Soil Excavation -- More than 515,000 Cubic Yards
• Deep Foundation Drilled Piers -- 296 (100% Complete)
• Concrete Slab on Deck/Grade Poured -- 15,000 Cubic Yards
• Nearly 40,000 cubic yards of foundation concrete have been poured
Fan Enhancements and Innovations
• A visionary bowl design with enhanced sightlines that create incredibly intimate and intimidating home ice and concert experiences
• Improved seating options, including "gondola" seating suspended over the event level
• Dynamic LED sports lighting and special effects, enhanced video, and state-of-the-art sound capabilities for a more immersive experience
• Creative food-service options
• A "jewel skin" on the outside of the arena bowl that can display video and graphics
• The Piazza open space featuring a massive video wall
• Year-round beer garden with retractable roof
• Best-in-class security systems and augmented load-in, load-out systems that will attract the best in sports and entertainment
• Time-saving mobile app and plentiful transportation and parking options
The Piazza, Practice Ice and The Via
• Concrete for the Piazza, which is being built on metal decking above the practice ice, and nearly completely poured – approximately 1,200 cubic yards
• On-site practice ice sits adjacent to the arena, nearly 40 feet underground; will also be used for amateur hockey and is nearly complete and ready for ice systems
• The Via, a covered atrium that will provide a year-round pedestrian walkway on the east and south sides of the arena, is taking shape between the arena and Woodward Avenue and Henry Street buildings
Retail, Residential and Office Buildings
• Woodward building: Structural steel is nearly complete and concrete is being poured on this new, mixed-use office and retail building east of the arena, home to Detroit Red Wings administration
• Henry Street building: Structural steel is nearly complete and concrete is being poured on this new, mixed-use office and retail building just south of the arena
• Residential and retail office building: Excavation is nearly complete and foundation piers are being placed for this four-story building just west of the Piazza
The District Detroit
• A world-class sports and entertainment district led by the Ilitch organization; will transform 50 blocks around six theaters and three professional sports venues into new restaurants, offices, shops, parks and places to live
• Home to the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, and with the opening of Little Caesars Arena in 2017, the Detroit Red Wings
• The District Detroit will ultimately account for an impact of more than $2 billion by 2020 and create 12,500 construction and construction-related jobs and 1,100 permanent jobs