Detroit-based developer Olympia Development of Michigan has selected a consortium of three firms to construct a $450-million arena it plans to build for National Hockey League's (NHL) Detroit Red Wings. Detroit's Dowtown Development Authority (DDA) was expected to approve the selection Wednesday.
The consortium Barton Malow-Hunt-White consists of Southfield, Mich.-based Barton Malow Co., Detroit-based White Construction and Indianapolis-based Hunt Construction Group, all veterans of sports stadium projects.
White and Hunt previously collaborated on construction of Comerica Park and Ford Field, homes to Major League Baseball's Detroit Tigers and National Football League's Detroit Lions, respectively. Barton-Malow has worked on a variety of ballparks and stadiums, including renovations for college football's Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
The 18,000-seat Red Wings facility is due for completion before the start of NHL's 2016 season.
As proposed, the facility would anchor a planned 45-block, $650-million mixed-use district that included restaurant, office, restaurant and retail uses. Olympia estimates construction of the stadium and surrounding district would create 8,300 jobs
“The building of the new events center alone is anticipated to create approximately 5,500 jobs, with more than half of those jobs being filled by Detroit residents and over $100 million being paid to Detroit-resident workers,” Olympia indicated in a statement.
Olympia Development of Michigan is the real estate arm of the Ilitch Holdings Inc., owner of the Red Wings. Ownership will fund $188.4 million in project costs for the new stadium, with the balance funded by property taxes Olympia will operate the facility under a 35-year concession agreement with DDA.