AUBURN HILLS Oakland County officials react to Pistons departure Home By Thomas Franz
The Detroit Pistons recently announced plans to leave the Palace of Auburn Hills to play in a new arena in Detroit. (Shutterstock image)
Posted November 30, 2016
AUBURN HILLS — A press conference was held Nov. 22 to announce that the Detroit Pistons will soon be leaving Auburn Hills for downtown Detroit.
The announcement came as no surprise to Oakland County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Gingell, R- Clarkston.
Gingell, who represents Auburn Hills and several nearby communities, said he had been aware of the potential for the Pistons to leave the Palace of Auburn Hills for several months.
Although he expressed disappointment in the team’s decision, Gingell remains hopeful for the future of the site of the Palace and the local businesses on Lapeer Road. “I think in the short term, it will certainly negatively impact the economic viability of that area, but I think in the long term, depending on what happens with that property, it might actually be a positive activity for Auburn Hills and Oakland County,” Gingell said.
Pistons owner Tom Gores, along with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Ilitch Holdings CEO Christopher Ilitch, announced Nov. 22 that the Pistons will begin playing in the new Little Caesars Arena in Detroit next season.
Although the Pistons will be leaving the Palace, the arena remains a possible host for concerts and other entertainment events.
Palace Sports & Entertainment, along with Ilitch Holdings, also announced a joint venture for entertainment venues that includes the Palace, DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston and Meadow Brook Amphitheatre in Rochester Hills.
“We’re certainly disappointed. We’d like to have the Pistons in Oakland County and the economic impact they’ve had over the years, but we understand they’re a privately held business and that they have to do what they believe is best for them,” Gingell said. “We respect their decision and we look forward to working with them, with DTE and Meadow Brook and the businesses they’ll continue in Oakland County.”
Gingell acknowledged that Pistons officials offered a proposal to Oakland County to purchase the Palace in recent months, but the county declined the offer.
“We did our due diligence on it. If you’re purchasing an asset that doesn’t include part of the economic driver, which is the Pistons basketball team, you’re only getting half of the basket,” Gingell said. “At the end of the day, it just didn’t make any financial sense for us. It wasn’t a quick decision, but ultimately, we know we’re not in the entertainment business.”
Regarding the future of the Palace, Gingell said he has spoken with Pistons representatives and is confident that the franchise will try to make its departure a win-win for the team and Oakland County.
“Time will tell, but I think they’re committed to trying to do the right thing on their way out of the Palace, and I look forward to working with them. I think it will be fine,” Gingell said.
Gingell expressed hope that automotive suppliers or medical facilities could be two candidates for the type of business that would utilize the site of the Palace in the future.
“I would hope it’s something that would help bring jobs and economic viability to Oakland County. It’s a fairly large parcel and has good access and visibility, and that’s a good formula to bring good tenants into the county.”
Gingell said he’s received mixed opinions from local residents on the team moving to Detroit.
“Certainly, there’s a little bit of sadness about moving something that people love and feel is a good part of the community, but there’s also the optimism of if the Pistons leave, what else could be done with that property, and Auburn Hills has been pretty successful about bringing companies in and bringing jobs and economic viability to the county, so time will tell,” Gingell said.
Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson issued a brief statement following the team’s announcement to move downtown.
“We wish the Pistons well. Thanks for all the memories,” Patterson said in a press release.
The Palace opened in 1988 and was privately funded by Bill Davidson, the former Pistons owner who died in 2009. The Pistons won three NBA titles under his ownership, in 1989, 1990 and 2004.
Gores, who purchased the franchise in 2011, said that Ethan Davidson, the son of Bill Davidson, will serve as a curator of Pistons history for Little Caesars Arena, which is scheduled to open in September 2017. Little Caesars Arena will serve as host to the Pistons and the Detroit Red Wings. It is funded by a combination of private and public dollars.
The agreement to allow the Pistons to move downtown must be approved by the NBA Board of Governors and also the Detroit City Council.
City Council must approve an agreement between the city’s Downtown Development Authority and the Pistons, which will receive $34.5 million in taxpayer-backed money to assist in covering the cost of arena modifications to accommodate NBA basketball.
The Pistons plan to construct a new practice facility and team headquarters near the arena.
Under the agreement, the Pistons also plan to invest $2.5 million over six years in renovating more than 60 basketball courts in parks throughout Detroit, and provide 20,000 free tickets per season to Detroit youth and residents.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Staff Writer Thomas Franz covers Macomb Township, Chippewa Valley Schools and the Macomb County Board of Commissioners for the Macomb Township Chronicle. He also covers sports primarily for the Shelby-Utica News. He has worked for C & G Newspapers since 2013 and attended Michigan State University. http://www.candgnews.com/news/oakland-county-officials-react-pistons-departure-97781