Rezoning approval moves Red Wings one step closer to new arena

By @SKubus –

On the day of their first home game of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Detroit Red Wings are one step closer to receiving the green light to begin construction on their future arena.

It took several attempts, but the Detroit Free Press reported that the Detroit City Council unanimously approved a rezoning Tuesday afternoon that required Olympia Development of Michigan to comply with the city’s request that the developers will commit to redevelop Hotel Eddystone. The Eddystone is one of two abandoned historic buildings in the zone along with Hotel Park Avenue, which is set to be torn down under the zoning agreement.

The $450-million, 20,000-seat arena and an complementary parking deck are planned to be built on 12 acres in the Cass Corridor, at I-75 and Woodward Ave.

The vote was delayed for consecutive weeks because the language of the proposal regarding the redevelopment of Hotel Eddystone was not strong enough for the council’s liking. Had the trend continued, there was worry the arena would not be prepared to open in 2017 as scheduled.

But now, the process has passed another checkpoint. The Detroit Historic Commission still needs to OK the demolition of the Park Avenue Hotel before the arena is officially green-lit, however.

The city’s Downtown Development Authority must also approve the rezoning, a topic that is scheduled in the organization’s 3 p.m. Thursday meeting.