Beyond The Barriers: Sneak Peek At Construction Of New Detroit Red Wings Arena [PHOTOS]
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) - Construction crews are hard at work building the new Detroit Red Wings arena, but fans haven't been able to see any of the progress due to large barricades blocking all of the work.
That's about to change.
We sent the WWJ Chopper 950 to the skies above downtown Detroit to see exactly what is going on behind those barriers on the west side of Woodward Avenue, just north of I-75.
These aerial views show that crews are working well below street level.
Look at how deep those excavators are!
You'll notice two buildings in the middle here, both of which are former hotels. The Eddystone Building (on the right in the picture below, across the street from the excavation) will be saved and renovated to include market-rate and affordable housing, along with first-floor retail space.
The other building, sometimes referred to as the Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, will likely be demolished and replaced by a parking garage and loading dock. Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Detroit Historic District Commission must approve any changes to the property. A hearing on the building's fate is set for June 10.
The $450 million, 20,000-seat arena -- the centerpiece of a five neighborhood District Detroit development -- is expected to completed in 2017.
Construction on the project started in April.
