Detroit Red Wings Hire Architects To Design New Arena

The Detroit Red Wings could have their eyes on a new arena to replace the famed Joe Louis Arena, according to the Sports Business Journal. Detroit has reportedly hired a team of architects to design a new NHL arena for downtown Detroit:

HKS, co-designer of American Airlines Center, will team with Chan Krieger NBBJ, a Boston architect specializing in urban developments, according to three industry sources.

It's been known that the Red Wings have been looking for a new arena in downtown Detroit, but it hasn't really been reported on with purpose for the past year or two. While the Joe Louis Arena is one of the most difficult places for opposing teams to play, it is certainly outdated. There were talks of potentially renovating and upgrading The Joe, but it now looks like that's off the table.

According to the report, the team is considering a few sites for the new arena, with the property behind the Fox Theatre specifically mentioned. Fox Theater is the headquarters of Olympia Entertainment, a sports and entertainment company owned by the Red Wings owner, Mike Ilitch.

The two architects chosen have differing specialties, to an extent. HKS has plenty of experience with sports arenas and complexes, while the latter, Chan Krieger NBBJ, has more experience in the Detroit area.