Build it and they will come, on a “wing” and a prayer…
One of the most amazing days of my life and by far the most remarkable day of my professional career; the ground breaking of the Little Caesars Arena. What looked absolutely impossible, finally looked possible when hundreds of people showed up to support the Ilitch family vision by attending this event in a vacant dirt covered parking lot, in an abandoned area of Detroit, where the future arena for The Detroit Red Wings would be built.
That day gave all the employees of The District Detroit, Olympia Development and Ilitch Holdings a huge breath of fresh air and so much hope to keep working towards the Ilitch goal…to revitalize Detroit! We were all on a high that day and as I look back on the photographs from that day, I’m amazed that I was able to be a part of such a spectacular and historic event. Over the 5 years that I spent documenting, story telling and creating content for The District Detroit, I learned so much about perseverance and was reminded that anything is possible when you truly believe. I’m so grateful to have contributed to the documentation of this amazing project and to see my hometown brought back to life. Being part of the Ilitch team will always be a highlight in my life. The energy of this day was vivacious, the weather was spectacular; the blue skies had everyone’s energy on high as the crowd was filled with politicians, athletes, sports fans, children and people of all faiths and cultures believing in Detroit again. It was Detroit at its best and that is why it will always standout as one of the most exuberant days of my life. Simply put, this day was a game changer. Faith was growing in this project and The Spirit of Detroit was gaining momentum. We created some amazing photographs that day that will be celebrated forever as Detroit began its rebirth right in front of our eyes.