The End of the Palace and the Beginning of the Little Caesars Arena

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Nathan Fiedner

The Red wings warming up just before the home opener at the LCA.

Change may be good, but is it what people want? With the opening of the brand new Little Caesars Arena (LCA) and the closing of the Palace and the Joe Louis Arena, the people of Detroit see the beginning of a new era. For the first time ever, all of Detroit’s sports teams are in one area in downtown Detroit. Not only is this a big deal for sports in Detroit since it is a new arena, but the arena is also another venue for concerts in Detroit. However, a lot of students at Adams High School and around the area do not see getting a new arena as the greatest thing and are unable to say goodbye to the Palace.

For some students in Rochester, they do not see this situation as gaining a new arena, but rather, they see it as losing the Palace. A lot of people in Rochester think that losing the Palace seems unfair because it was a very convenient place to go for concerts and to go watch the Detroit Pistons play basketball. One of the main reasons people are not ready to see the Palace go is because they feel it has the potential for more use.

“I think that closing the Palace isn’t fair, and I really enjoyed the Palace. They’re destroying a perfectly fine place,” said senior Amanda Babiak.

This sense of unfairness is understandable. Nevertheless, the Palace has been around for 29 years, while the Silverdome was only around 25 years before the Lions moved into Ford Field. Therefore, it’s understandable that the Pistons to move to a new home after being at the Palace for 29 years.

“They are destroying a perfectly fine concert venue that has seen a number of famous bands, singers, groups, acts, and performances. Some of my best concert experiences have been there. It’s sad to see such a great place go,” said senior Alexa Fenchak.

Some of these feelings come from the fact that students who live in Rochester are so close to the Palace. Looking at both the positives and negatives; however, one bad thing about getting rid of the the Palace is now having to drive all the way down to Detroit to see it, and having to pay outrageous prices for tickets. On the other hand, the positive to all this is having a new arena with nice seats and a nicer atmosphere to go to concerts in. While it’s unfortunate that the Palace is closing, it’s also nice to have a new arena in downtown Detroit to continue going to concerts and making memories.

Nathan Fiedner
Red wings pregame show dedication to the team and the new arena.

Having the Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers, and the Lions all downtown is a great idea, but what makes it even better is having them in the same area in Detroit. It gives fans a new experience that they have never known before the building of the LCA.

It’s nice to have the sports teams back in Detroit where everything started for these teams. While it may not be what is wanted, it is best to move past the fact of losing two great arenas. Students need to be able to look forward to the new memories and experiences the fans and concert goers will have at the LCA. While the old arenas will be missed, getting to see a new space to grow fans love for their favorite sports teams or for fans favorite musician is the important part of having a change like this.