Little Caesars Arena is more than just the home sporting venue for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons. It’s an entertainment mecca, a key cog in the ongoing revitalization of Detroit, and a bridge between downtown and midtown Detroit. A leading NHL arena builder, Barton Malow, in partnership with Hunt and White Construction (BMHW), was proud to take on this significant undertaking and completed the project on time for a series of kickoff concerts and Pistons/Red Wings home openers.
Budget + Schedule
The initial Little Caesars Arena project budget was $450 million; however, this was early in development when it was slated to only host the Red Wings. The late addition of the Pistons as a tenant changed the scope of the project and increased the contract amount to $862 million. Even with the late changes to accommodate the Pistons, the arena was still completed within the 28-month construction schedule, on budget, and with quality that surpassed even the original lofty expectations.
Bold Design + Construction
Olympia Development of Michigan presented a bold design for the new, state-of-the-art arena, and the BMHW team delivered. Little Caesars Arena stands eight stories tall, with the bowl floor 40 feet below street level. Gondola seating, a large SkyDeck modular tension wire grid system, and a suspended steel frame hanging from the roof make it visually stunning from the inside.
Community Impact
With Little Caesars Arena, BMHW has ushered in a new wave of opportunity. The team was committed to creating careers and training outlets for the citizens of Detroit and worked closely with small and medium-sized subcontractors throughout construction. We hosted seven workforce career expos to get Detroiters access to training and apprenticeships within the trades.
