Ilitch Holdings to pitch arena district project to Detroit firms
[Detroit Free Press]
KNIGHT RIDDER/TRIBUNE 5:05 AM ET 08/28/14
Aug. 28--Olympia Development, an arm of the Ilitch family's Ilitch Holdings, will hold a contractors information meeting this morning for Detroit-headquartered and Detroit-based businesses interested in opportunities in the construction of the sports and entertainment district the family is planning.
Anchored by a new multipurpose arena that will be home to the Detroit Red Wings, the district is expected to break ground this fall, with the arena opening by summer 2017.
Today's contractors summit will be held at MotorCity Casino Hotel's Sound Board. Among those scheduled to address the potential contractors are Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, as well as representatives of the Detroit Downtown Development Authority, the City of Detroit Human Rights Department, the Michigan Minority Business Development Center, Detroit Employment Solutions Corp., which is the city's workforce development agency, and the lead contracting team, Barton Malow-Hunt-White.
At the event, Olympia Development will outline its plan to achieve 30% Detroit business participation and 51% Detroit resident-worker participation in construction of the new Detroit arena.
"The new Detroit Sports and Entertainment District is a transformational project, and it will have a profoundly positive impact on the Detroit economy, as well as that of the region and state," Christopher Ilitch said in a statement. "We are very focused on doing everything we can to ensure that Detroit businesses and resident-workers play a major role in the jobs that will build the arena, as well as the entire District."
Contact John Gallagher: 313-222-5173 or gallagher@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jgallagherfreep.
___
(c)2014 the Detroit Free Press
Visit the Detroit Free Press at www.freep.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
