Detroit’s New Hockey Arena Gets Partial Approval From Council

The Detroit City Council took steps toward building a $450 million hockey arena for billionaire Mike Ilitch’s Red Wings with state-issued bonds backed by local property taxes.

The council today approved two of three measures that would seal the project and funnel real estate taxes toward payment of the bonds. It backed enlarging a tax district and allowing the Downtown Development Authority, which would own the arena, to collect the levies. Lawmakers balked at a plan to transfer city-owned land.