Features
Venue Chatter: Little Caesars, BOK Center, and Rapid City Arena
Lawsuit filed against funding for Detroit’s Little Caesars Arena dropped … Tulsa’s BOK Center will be completely smoke-free before summer ends … Rapid City, S.D., contemplates building a new sports palace.
The lawsuit seeking to block $34.5 million in funding for the
Tanya Moutzalias /The Grand Rapids Press via AP – Red Wings Little Caesars Arena Work
Construction progresses on Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The new home of NHL’s Red Wings is expected to be completed by the 2017 hockey season with a 20,000 capacity, five restaurants, seven bars and 60 percent more concessions than the previous venue.
The complaint was filed June 1 by activist Robert Davis and city clerk candidate D. Etta Wilcoxon, who argued that taxpayer money should not be used to fund the arena without voter approval. Their attorney submitted a court notice to drop the case July 1.
Davis is still battling to force a vote, however.
He and Wilcoxon filed a lawsuit against the Detroit Public Schools Community District June 27 to prohibit the sending of school property tax revenues on the new venue.
The Little Caesars Arena opens in the fall and will be the new home of the NHL’s Red Wings and the NBA’s Pistons. – Ron Camacho
The
– BOK Center Spreads The Word
“We have identified this area as an opportunity to enhance security,” GM Jeff Nickler said in a statement. “While we understand that this is an inconvenience for some, we are confident that all of our fans can agree that safety comes first,”
The prohibition on smoking encompasses practices like smoking and vaping. – Francisco Rendon
The mayor of Rapid City, S.D., proposed replacing the city’s outdated
The number of events at the arena has declined from 90 in 2000 to under 60 in 2016, according to Mayor Steve Allender.
Allender presented two options for the aging arena in a city council meeting June 28. Renovate Barnette Arena for $25 million or build a new one for $130 million.
Allender told reporters that the new arena would generate more revenue for the local economy.
He noted that the new arena would be a tough pitch to citizens. In 2015, voters turned down a similar proposal for the construction of a $180 million arena.