"Stay tuned for a post bidding farewell to the venue of yesterday's commencement, as it was the last one held there." So I concluded 'Stranger Things' alignment charts, itself a call back to my writing "I'll have something to say about the venue on Monday, as it will almost certainly be the last commencement held there" as part of the concluding paragraph of Vox on 'Pomp and Circumstance'. After two consecutive days of teasing my readers, it's time for me to deliver.
Since I like video, I'll let WXYZ report what's happening in last month's Pistons say goodbye to the Palace.
Yes, the Pistons will join the Red Wings in their new arena in Foxtown. That's great news for downtown and midtown Detroit, bringing people and their money into the city. For the property where The Palace now stands, the future is less certain. WXYZ speculates about that in What's next for The Palace of Auburn Hills?
Whatever happens with the property, last Saturday's event will probably be the last time I ever visit the arena. I'll miss it. I said as much after the luncheon before the ceremony. I also went back onto the floor to look up at the seats one last time after it was all over. I hope the college finds as good a venue for next year's commencement.
For my readers who want to explore why the Pistons left The Palace for Foxtown, I suggest they read the Detroit Free Press's How miscalculation, market trends doomed Palace of Auburn Hills. The article explains how suburbia is declining, not from Peak Oil, but from changes in tastes of the rising generation. As for The Palace, it joins Northland Mall and the Silverdome as victims of the decreasing viability of suburbia in competition with walkable downtown neighborhoods and Internet commerce. May they all find new and better uses when they are redeveloped.
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