Michigan board to allow new Red Wings arena

LANSING, MICH. >> A state board on Wednesday unanimously gave the go-ahead for a new Red Wings hockey arena in downtown Detroit to be paid for in part with tax dollars as the broke city works through bankruptcy proceedings.

Gov. Rick Snyder and others defended against potential criticism that the $650 million project should be entirely financed with private money because the city can’t provide basic services and its retirees are facing cuts in their pensions. The arena is designed to be a catalyst for more development and to link downtown with underutilized nearby areas, officials said.

“This is part of investing in Detroit’s future,” Snyder said. “That’s the message we need to get across. ... As we stabilize the city government’s finances, as we address those issues and improve services, Detroit moves from a place where people might have had a negative impression — although there are great things already going on — to being a place that will be recognized across the world as a place of great value and a place to invest.”