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The Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes already were banging each other into the boards in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinals while hundreds of fans still were stuck outside trying to get into Joe Louis Arena.
The lines were slow and the entrances jammed with eager fans who remained patient despite the annoyance of a slow-moving line. There are only two main entrances to The Joe, which makes it slow and cumbersome to get in and out, which is one of several things that angers fans like Brian Niemiac of Trenton. He watches most of the games in the upper bowl and he has a laundry list of ideas should the Wings build a new joint venture arena downtown with the Pistons.
"This place is terrible," he said. "It takes so long to do anything here."
A number of other Red Wings fans chimed in, saying they want a larger concourse, bigger bathrooms, more seat and aisle room, better parking and, of course, elimination of the hazardous steps that lead up to Joe Louis Arena.
Those were some of the challenges tossed onto the crowded desk of Alexander Pollock, an award-winning stadium designer with Ann Arbor's Abraham Kadushin Associates Architect Planners.
• Photo gallery of what Pollack's stadium might look like
He is hoping Ilitch Holdings gives him a chance to submit a bid to design the new proposed downtown arena that might house both the Pistons and Red Wings. Pollack spoke with the city when they were looking for designs for the current Joe Louis Arena. But he said it wanted plans in 10 days and it wasn't enough time to pull something together.
"We want to go beyond where arenas are today and make the fans king. They are the clients, not necessarily Mike Ilitch," Pollock said. "(Fans) are the ones who can explore the game of hockey and basketball in a way they never did before. That is what this design is about. It brings us closer to the game and action than any other arena that exists. I know this is a powerful statement, but the design speaks for itself."
Some fans are so eager for a new arena that one design has been posted on the Internet. Their angst with Joe Louis Arena is beginning to creep onto talk radio. Pollack's design does not follow some fans' dreams of seeing an Olympia-style barn built downtown. He does not believe in traditional arenas that are shaped in a circle, box or barn. He calls his concept a "Red Wings"-shaped arena.
He claims his design would require 18 percent less steel than traditional arenas and would save the city in construction and energy costs.
What does it look like and what is inside?
Old Olympia look
Many fans want a barn-like replica of old Olympia Stadium which used to host Red Wings and Pistons games on Grand River, about five miles from downtown. They enjoy the look and feel of Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Pollock believes in non-traditional looks but he said his stadium would save the city money. He calls it a "Red Wings" design and said it would use 18 percent less steel than in a traditional oval or square arena and it would save on energy costs because the team could place solar panels on the roof.
He is not opposed to a barn look, but believes energy costs and economy is more important.
Suites closer to the ice
Pollack said most of the action in hockey is at either end of the rink, not center ice. He placed most of the suites at the end of the arena so fans can be closer to the action. He also suspended the suites from the ceiling rather than an arena base to lower them closer to the surface.
Pollock said the concept would allow suites to be within 34 feet of the goalie crease. Currently, the closest suites are at The Palace and they are around 65 feet from the basketball court.
Most of the current suites at The Joe are above the second spectator level and put patrons far from the ice. He said corner suites allow spectators to see players skate in almost a three-dimensional setting.
Closer seats
The first tier of seats is retractable, which allows him to put them closer to the ice or court. They also can be adjusted for basketball in order to maximize seating. The second-tier seating nestles up near the first tier, allowing those fans in upper regions to be closer.
"The shape of the building is a series of arches that allow the grand stands and private suites to be suspended and brought closer to the ice," Pollack said.
The larger concourse
The current JLA concourse is about 15 feet wide, which does not provide much passing room in the hallway. It takes fans more time to find concessions and get back to their seats. Pollack proposes a concourse 25-30 feet wide in all directions. There even is an atrium which allows patrons to view downtown Detroit.
"You want to get large volumes of people in and out quickly," Pollock said.
He also factored in larger bathrooms, especially for women, who often stand 75 deep to enter tiny bathrooms at The Joe. Women complain they routinely miss the opening moments of the second and third periods.
No dangerous stairs
The dressing rooms and office space would be sunken and the concourse is on street level, allowing fans to walk from their cars directly into the building without using stairs. The stairs leading up to JLA are steep and dangerous, especially in the winter when ice forms.
Pollock has escalators taking fans to upper-tier seating. The Palace also has stairs but fans are more forgiving because most of them are inside and do not pose as much danger to fans.
"At Joe Louis you have to deal with the inclement weather and all the elements," he said.
Larger seats
The red seats at JLA place fans on red alert. However, fans complain they are too narrow and that they must stand to allow fellow spectators to pass by. The current seats provide 20 inches of sitting space. Pollack said he can provide a 20,000-seat stadium with 24-inch seats for mass seating and for suites with cup holders, something else fans said they wanted.
He proposes 45 inches from seat back to seat back in the stands. Pollock said that is enough for spectators to stretch their legs a bit without bumping into the person in front. That would allow about 20 inches of leg room for fans, which is enough for fans to not feel cramped.
"But the more leg room you have obviously the fewer seats you can have," he said. "And I don't want it where we are spacing people too far from the action."
Downtown view
Joe Louis Arena is like a coffin. Once inside, fans have no concept if what is going on outside the building. It does not take advantage of being on the river front. Pollock allows for open atrium views of the city which not only brightens the concourse but provides natural light and reduces energy.
He also said a retractable section of roof in the arena could provide the same effect, allowing the sun to shine through the glass. He claims the design would save on energy because it makes more efficient use of space and the roof design would house solar panels.
Multi-use
Seats could be added on the slanted roof for outdoor tennis, concerts, soccer and minor league baseball games. Pollock said it also could provide relief for fans trying to exit games so everybody does not leave from the main entrance. Or the roof can have solar panels to provide low cost energy.
"People in upper seating can use the roof to leave which is unheard of in today's stadium designs," Pollock said. "That can be important during an emergency."
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