The arena features a unique, clear plastic roofed concourse connecting it to offices and shops surrounding it. It was designed to be the flagship of a new $2.1 billion 650,000-square-foot (60,000 m2) sports and entertainment district, The District Detroit, withmixed-use neighborhoods with new residential and retail outlets located around theCass Corridor,Ford Field, andComerica Park. However, this has yet to materialize.
Little Caesars Arena was designed byHOK, and features a unique "deconstructed" layout. Buildings housing retail outlets, including several restaurants,[17] the arena's box office, and the offices of the Red Wings are built outside the arena, but a glass roof is erected between the buildings and the arena itself. The roof forms an indoor "street" that serves as the arena'sconcourse.[15] The concourse will remain open year-round, even if an event is not occurring inside the arena, allowing it to also be used as a venue of its own.[15] There is also an outdoor plaza with a large video display.[18]
The eight-story arena is built as a bowl, with its floor 40 feet (12 m) below street level with seating capacities of 19,515 for ice hockey and 20,332 for basketball.[7][8][19] The bowl also features a "gondola" seating level suspended above the stands.[18] The exterior of the bowl structure is capable of displaying video projections.[18] A 37,300-square-foot (3,470 m2) practice ice rink is also inside the arena. In addition to serving as the practice facility for the Red Wings, the rink serves as the home of both Little Caesars AAA Hockey Club and Little Caesars Amateur Hockey League as well.[20][21]
TheBell Centre inMontreal has been cited to be one of the biggest influences of the arena's design.[22][23]Christopher Ilitch described the arena's design as being "revolutionary", and believes that it may influence future arena designs in other cities.[15][24]
The arena features a centerhung scoreboard that measures at 5,100 square feet (470 m2). The arena also features 45 LED displays covering more than 13,500 square feet (1,250 m2) and 16.5 million plus LEDs in and around it.[25]
Thegoal horn used at Joe Louis Arena from 1995 to 2017 was not moved to Little Caesars Arena. The old horn's acoustics would have made it all but impossible to hear in the new arena. More importantly, there was no safe way to store the compressednitrogen gas that powered the old horn.[26][27] An amplified recording of the horn was played over the sound system instead, in a move that received mixed reviews from Red Wings fans.[27] Ahead of the2023–24 season, Little Caesars Arena installed a new horn matching the model previously used at Joe Louis Arena, but using compressed air rather than nitrogen.[26]
Comerica Park andFord Field (pictured) were incorporated into a "Wildcat Corner" district near the new arena.
It was reported in May 2012 that the Red Wings had hiredHKS, Inc. andNBBJ to design a new arena for the team, which would replace Joe Louis Arena.[28] The new arena would be owned by the city's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and its land would be leased toOlympia Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Red Wings' parent company,Ilitch Holdings, rent free for a long term. Olympia would have full operational control of the arena, an arrangement similar to the one Olympia had with the city-owned Joe Louis Arena.[5][29] Sales of game tickets, parking, concessions, souvenirs, and any potentialnaming rights deals would not be subject torevenue sharing with the City of Detroit as they were with Joe Louis Arena. The city earned an average of $7 million per year through these revenue sharing agreements.[30]
Olympia Entertainment officially announced in December 2012 its intention to develop a new district in downtown Detroit composed of offices, residential facilities, and "a new state-of-the-art, multi-purpose events center", with an estimated cost of $650 million.[31] In June 2013, the DDA officially announced the location of the new arena and entertainment district.[32] An estimated 58 percent of the cost to construct the arena was to be funded by public tax dollars, about $261 million.[33] On July 24, 2013, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved the DDA's request for $650 million in funding.[34]
Christopher Ilitch unveiled renderings of the new arena and entertainment district on July 20, 2014, referring to it asThe District Detroit.[15] He explained that the project's goal was to "build out a sports and entertainment district that is world-class and rivals anything in the country, perhaps the world." The district, which would complement theQLine streetcar, was primarily built on vacant land near the Cass Corridor alongWoodward Avenue, and would incorporate five distinct neighborhoods with new residential and apartment units and European-influenced designs. The district would also feature a hotel, new restaurants, and new retail outlets. Olympia Development would fund the refurbishment of public infrastructure around the arena district, such as street lighting, sidewalks, and paving.[24] One of the neighborhoods, referred to by Ilitch as "Wildcat Corner", would incorporate the area occupied by theTigers andLions' home venues of Comerica Park and Ford Field, respectively, and replace several parking lots with new apartment complexes featuring street-level retail outlets.[15]
Ilitch emphasized the impact of the arena district project would have on Detroit's economy: the new facilities would result in 1,000 new jobs in the city, and 8,300 new jobs would be created for the construction process. Olympia was committed to having 51% of the construction jobs be filled by residents of Detroit. Additionally, two Michigan-based contractors would be among those working on the arena, and 80% of the materials used in the construction of the arena was also to be sourced from Michigan-based companies when possible.[24]
Olympia Entertainment CEO Tom Wilson described an intent for the arena to be an "epicenter" for hockey, prospecting it as a site for events and tournaments at thecollege and junior levels such as theIIHF World Junior Championship and theMemorial Cup.[35] Wilson also stated its commitment to continue hosting the annual collegiateGreat Lakes Invitational at the arena, provided the universities involved maintained their desire to participate.[36]
A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held at the arena site on September 25, 2014.[9] Following the completion of the new arena, Joe Louis Arena was demolished, and its former site was to be redeveloped into a hotel and retail complex. The sale of the Joe Louis Arena site came as part of abankruptcy settlement between theFinancial Guaranty Insurance Company and the city of Detroit.[15][37]
Mass excavation at the arena site began on April 24, 2015, a few days after Detroit City Council approved a zoning change, allowing vertical construction to officially commence.[38][39][40]
The Detroit Historic District Commission approved the demolition of thePark Avenue Hotel on June 10, 2015, to make room for what will be the arena's loading dock.[41] Olympia Development claimed that the Park Avenue Hotel stood in a high-security area.[42] A demolition permit was issued on June 22, 2015. Detroit-basedAdamo Demolition was the contractor listed on the permit.[43] Despite protests, the building was imploded on July 11, 2015.[44][45][46][47] On August 30, 2015, Olympia Entertainment announced that an estimated 488,000 cubic yards (373,000 m3) of soil had been excavated in recent months for the below-grade bowl, and hundreds of deep pier foundations were being drilled and filled with concrete through September. The steel frame of the arena began to go up in late fall.[48]
Construction of the ice surface began on January 5, 2017.[49] On February 16, 2017, various construction changes began inside the arena in order to accommodate the Detroit Pistons.[50] Construction of the ice rink began on March 8, 2017.[51]
Opening tip of a Pistons game against theNew York Knicks in December 2021
In late October 2016, it was reported that the Pistons were considering a move from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena as soon as the2017–18 season, pending city and league approval.[52][53] Pistons ownerTom Gores,Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairmanArn Tellem, and Olympia Entertainment had been in negotiations over a partnership since the summer of 2015, with talks intensifying just as the Pistons were set to open their2016–17 season; the terms also included a possible merger between Olympia and the Pistons' holding company Palace Sports & Entertainment.[54] The Pistons sought land to construct a new headquarters and practice facility within the vicinity of the arena.[54]
On November 22, 2016, the Pistons officially announced that they would move to Little Caesars Arena starting with the 2017–18 season.[55][56][57]
On June 20, 2017, Detroit City Council approved the Pistons' move to Little Caesars Arena.[58] On August 3, 2017, the NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the move, which made it official.[59][60] This marked the first time since 1974 that all four of Detroit's major league sports teams played in the city limits on a regular basis, and the first time since 1978 that the Pistons played in the city of Detroit on a regular basis.[61][62] The move also marked the first time since 1961 that they and the Red Wings shared the same arena on a regular basis.[63] The move made Detroit the only U.S. city to have four major league sports teams in its downtown district, and one of only two U.S. cities to have four major league sports teams play in a single complex, the other beingPhiladelphia.[64]
On October 8, 2017, as a byproduct of the move, Olympia Entertainment and Palace Sports & Entertainment formed313 Presents LLC, ajoint venture that handles entertainment bookings and event management at the venues owned by both companies.[6][65][66]
Interior in ice hockey configuration in September 2017.
Little Caesars Arena opened on September 5, 2017, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.[16] The Red Wings played their inaugural game at Little Caesars Arena during the preseason against theBoston Bruins on September 23, 2017. They won the game 5–1.[67] They played their first regular season game at the arena on October 5, 2017, against theMinnesota Wild. The Red Wings won the game 4–2.[68]
The Pistons played their inaugural game at Little Caesars Arena during the preseason against theCharlotte Hornets on October 4, 2017. They lost the game 108–106.[62] Their regular season home opener, also against the Hornets, was played on October 18, 2017. The Pistons beat the Hornets 102–90.[69]
Upon moving to Little Caesars Arena, the Pistons unveiled a new basketball court featuring thePlatinum Equity logo in place of the LCA logo, making them the only NBA team not to display any arena signage on the court.[70]
In the inaugural season of Little Caesars Arena, concerns were raised over diminished attendance of Red Wings and Pistons games. During the Red Wings' first regular season game at the arena, the sight of a half empty lower bowl was noticeable due to it being nationally televised.[71][72] When asked about this, Olympia CEO Tom Wilson explained that many fans went to the concourse to check out the arena, noting that the same thing happened during the first event.[73] In early November 2017, the team announced that all of the home games played at that point were sellouts despite the sight of empty seats.[8] Like the Red Wings, the Pistons have had similar issues. When asked about it, they stated that ticket sales were up despite the empty seats.[74][8][75]
In October 2018, it was announced that all of the arena's red seats would be replaced by black ones. Media outlets noted that the red seats made the sight of empty seats appear more obvious.[76][77]
In August 2018,Google relocated a regional sales office fromBirmingham to leased office space on the Little Caesars Arena property.[78][79]
As of 2025[update], beyond a new Little Caesars world headquarters across from Comerica Park,[80] theWayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business neighboring Little Caesars Arena (both of which have ties to the Ilitch family),[81] and an office building,[82] little of the promised redevelopment tied to the arena has materialized.[83]
It was originally announced that Little Caesars Arena would cost $450 million to construct, on top of an additional $200 million for constructing the new district. $285 million of the total $650 million cost would be public funds, with $365.5 million in private funding.[32][84]
On May 23, 2017, it was reported that the cost of the arena had risen to $862.9 million.[10]
In June 2017, a lawsuit was filed by Robert Davis and city clerk candidate D. Etta Wilcoxon, seeking to prohibit the use of school property tax revenue to fund Little Caesars Arena and the new Pistons headquarters without a public vote. The money had originally been approved by voters only for use byDetroit Public Schools Community District to cover operational expenses.[85] District JudgeMark A. Goldsmith dismissed much of the suit, ruling that the plaintiffs lacked standing to sue over the issue. The judge did, however, allow an unrelated count, alleging violations of theEqual Protection Clause by the DPSCD against Davis, to move forward.[86]
The DDA, which owns the arena, uses an estimated $15 million annually in state school taxes to repay Michigan State.[33]
A view of the Little Caesars logo on the top of the arena
On February 11, 2016, it was reported that a local businessman had sold thedomain name "littlecaesarsarena.com" three weeks earlier to an international brokerage firm for "five figures", which suggested thatLittle Caesars, a pizza chain also owned by the Ilitch family, had acquired thenaming rights to the new arena.[87] Olympia Entertainment officially announced on April 28, 2016, that the venue would be known as Little Caesars Arena.[88][89] It was also revealed that a large Little Caesars logo would be displayed on the arena's roof; the previous plan for the LED roof was dismissed as being a "placeholder".[90][91] Chris Ilitch defended the decision of not selling the naming rights to a third-party company, arguing that it was meant to reflect Little Caesars' position as a "legacy business" of the Ilitch family.[92]
The announcement was poorly received.[93] Prior to the unveiling of the official name, some fans suggested toThe Detroit News that the arena should have been named afterGordie Howe.[94] Following Howe's death on June 10, 2016, an online petition began to circulate requesting that Little Caesars Arena be renamed in honor of the former Red Wings player.[95][96]
TheProfessional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) hosted a game at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2024, between itsBoston andOttawa clubs; a crowd of 13,736 watched the game, which is the third largest crowd to ever watch a professional women's hockey game in the United States.[100][101][102] The PWHL hosted another game at Little Caesars Arena between theMinnesota Frost and theNew York Sirens on March 16, 2025; a crowd of 14,288 watched the game, which is the largest crowd to ever watch a professional women's hockey game in the United States.[103][102] The PWHL will return to Detroit for two games, one between theVancouver Goldeneyes andBoston Fleet on January 3, 2026, and the second one between the New York Sirens andMontreal Victoire on March 28.[104]
As part of a contract carried over from Joe Louis Arena, Little Caesars Arena hosted theHorizon League'smen's andwomen's basketball tournaments until 2019, under the blanket titleMotor City Madness.[107][108] Detroit began hosting the men's tournament at Joe Louis Arena in 2016 under a five-year deal, and the women's tournament in 2017.[109][110] The tournaments moved toIndianapolis for 2020.[107][108]
Little Caesars Arena hosted first and second-round games during the2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, hosted by theUniversity of Detroit Mercy.[111] Although the nearby Palace of Auburn Hills hosted preliminary rounds of the Tournament in2013, this was the Tournament's first visit to Detroit since the city hosted the2009 Final Four at Ford Field.[112][113] The Tournament returned to the arena for the Midwest Regional in 2024.[114] The Tournament will return to the arena again for the Midwest Regional in 2028.[115] The Tournament was originally slated to return in 2021.[98] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were relocated.[116]
On July 17, 2019, the Michigan State Spartans and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies announced a six-year deal that extended their series. The games rotated between Little Caesars Arena and theBreslin Center.[117] The first game was played at the arena on December 14, 2019,[118] while the second game was played on December 21, 2021.[119] The third and final game was originally scheduled to take place in 2023.[117] However, it was moved to the Breslin Center as the Spartans instead played theBaylor Bears at Little Caesars Arena on December 16, 2023.[120][121][122] The third game in the series to be played at Little Caesars Arena took place on December 17, 2024.[123][124] A fourth game will take place at Little Caesars Arena on December 20, 2025.[125]
The 2020Big3 championship game was scheduled to be held at Little Caesars Arena on August 29, 2020.[126] However, on May 18, 2020, the Big3 announced that the 2020 season would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[127]
Raw returned on December 28, 2018, to pre-record an episode aired onNew Year's Eve.[142] Nearly a year later, WWE returned for a liveSmackDown at the arena on December 27, 2019, and recorded a match for broadcast during Fox'sNew Year's Eve with Steve Harvey.[143][144][145]SmackDown was originally scheduled to return on March 13, 2020, but the show (and all other WWE programming) was called off and relocated to theWWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[146]Raw returned on December 27, 2021, for the final episode of the year.[147]
Sproat Street/Adelaide Street[4]
DDOT 4
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