DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons announced Tuesday agreements under which the team will move to downtown Detroit and begin playing at the new Little Caesars Arena starting next season. The move will include construction of a new state-of-the-art Pistons practice facility and corporate headquarters.
With the Pistons and Red Wings playing under one roof just blocks from the Tigers’ Comerica Park and the Lions’ Ford Field, Detroit will be the only North American city to have each of its four major professional sports leagues housed within four blocks in its urban core.
The Pistons are currently playing their 29th and final season at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The redevelopment of that area is yet to be determined.
Little Caesars Arena is on track for a September 2017 opening. A 50-block, mixed-use development, The District Detroit, will surround the arena.
Detroit Pistons Owner Tom Gores, Christopher Ilitch of Ilitch Holdings Inc. and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan made the announcement in a press conference Tuesday.