What’s going up at the former home of the Detroit Red Wings

DETROIT - Long gone is the Joe Louis Arena, the former home of the Detroit Red Wings. In its place will soon be a swanky new hotel. Detroit-based developer Sterling Group and the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) have revealed details on what’s being built at the former site of “Hockeytown.”

The 600-room hotel will open under the JW Marriott brand and will be connected to the Huntington Place Convention Center via a skybridge. The JW Marriott Detroit Water Square will be 25 stories and will feature 50,000 square feet of meeting spaces, restaurants, a market and more.

“This connected hotel will change the hospitality landscape in the City of Detroit and allow for Huntington Place to attract more and larger conventions,” said Danny Samson, Chief Development Officer of Sterling Group. “It will be a significant economic benefit to the City and the region.

Construction of the hotel began in early April and is expected to be completed by early 2027, just in time for the Men’s NCAA Final Four tournament taking place at Ford Field in Detroit in March of that year.

“The significant investment made by Sterling Group will create the first hotel connected to our convention center in the city’s history,” added said Claude Molinari, Chairperson of the DRCFA. “This waterfront development reflects the accelerating strength of Detroit to attract premier meetings and conventions. A connected hotel is a critical component that will allow Huntington Place and the City of Detroit to be a competitive force to attract such events going forward.”

The Detroit Red Wings left the Joe Louis Arena in 2017 and the property was demolished in 2021. The Wings now play at Little Caesars Arena.