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DETROIT, MICH — There have been seemingly endless rumors about the fate of the Detroit Pistons, and if they will be staying at the Palace of Auburn Hills, or seeking out a new home closer to the downtown area.
On Monday afternoon, the Detroit News confirmed via a source, that the Pistons are to move downtown next season, and will become “roommates” with the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena:
The Pistons will announce Tuesday at 3 p.m. that they will move to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit starting with the 2017-18 season, a source told The Detroit News on Monday.
The source requested anonymity because an official announcement has not yet taken place.
The announcement will follow a 2:30 p.m. meeting of the city’s Downtown Development Authority board at Detroit Cass Tech High School. The meeting is open to the public.
The DDA votes on whether to support private investments and business growth within Detroit’s central business district with loans, sponsorships and grants, infrastructure improvements and other programs that increase economic activity.
This is certainly a huge movement for not only the Pistons, who have been in the Palace since the late 80’s, but for the city of Detroit as a whole. If you’ve ever been to a Pistons game, you’ll know that the location is less than ideal, being about 35 minutes north up I-75.
The Palace will likely be re-developed into an event center, and continue to host concerts, big events, and anything else under that sun that involves a massive facility.
There may be some questions as to what this does for the Wings, a team who has had the luxury of not sharing a facility with another team, surely this means scheduling and logistics will be tricky. All-in-all, this is a big development for the city in hopes to build a district around the new arena, and ultimately make downtown Detroit a destination.