Wandering inside new Little Caesars Arena, getting a look at the areas hidden to the public, it’s easy to think one is inside an upscale hotel.
A hotel devoted to the history of two of the most iconic teams in the history of pro sports, that is.
News media were given tours of the venue Wednesday, led by executives and staff from Olympia Entertainment and Palace Sports & Entertainment, the former competitors that now share the $863 million project site that’s home to the Detroit Red Wings and Pistons.
Media got a look at the backstage rooms devoted to entertainer comfort before and after shows, resplendent in subdued woods and leathers. The arena has five such rooms of varying size, which are served by a full kitchen. They call it the “artist compound.”
The hockey and basketball players will get elite comforts, too. Underneath the plaza adjacent to the arena is the Red Wings practice arena, and overlooking that is a sprawling 5,000-square-foot set of rooms for players’ families. The area includes a playroom for children, with wooden toys and miniature lockers.
The Red Wings player area — locker room, changing area, lounge, kitchen and therapy rooms — is 23,000 square feet. The kitchen would be the envy of many TV celebrity chefs. The player area is more than double what they had at Joe Louis Arena. Oh, and each of the wooden lockers has a vent to help dissipate the strong odors that are unique to hockey locker rooms.
That’s next to the underground practice ice rink whose walls are lined with the Red Wings original championship banners. The area for the Pistons wasn’t part of Wednesday’s tour because it’s still under construction.
These are the places the public won’t get a chance to see. Workers are in the final sprint to have the building ready for its Sept. 12 inaugural event, a Kid Rock concert.
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https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20170906/news/638266/tour-gives-first-look-behind-the-scenes-at-little-caesars-arena