Chris Ilitch says the Red Wings new arena will have a roof by the fall, and a name very soon.
That was the first topic discussed at the Detroit Economic Club's Red Wings luncheon on Thursday.
"The foundation work is underway with more than 200,000 square feet of retail, office and restaurant space that will be surrounding the arena. That will give us that vibrant, urban experience we all crave," Ilitch said.
He also explained why people should be excited for a new experience, much different than Joe Louis Arena.
"More choices, more variety, five restaurants, seven clubs and overall 60 percent more concessions," he added. "Bigger bowl that can fit up to 11,000 people -- depending on the event."
During the Q&A portion, the team's head coach, Jeff Blashill, made a comical error in complimenting two players.
Blashill talked about pairing Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, and brushed over Justin Abdlekader's importance to the line.
