Detroit Pistons and Henry Ford Health System Announce State-Of-The-Art Training, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine Complex

Henry Ford - Detroit Pistons Performance Center Will Serve As Team’s New Practice Facility And Corporate Headquarters Alongside Comprehensive Sports Medicine, Treatment and Rehabilitation Clinic

DETROIT – The Detroit Pistons and Henry Ford Health System today announced plans to build a state-of-the-art training, rehabilitation and sports medicine complex in the New Center area of Detroit.

The multi-discipline Henry Ford - Detroit Pistons Performance Center will house a new training facility and corporate headquarters for the NBA franchise; include a comprehensive sports medicine, treatment and rehabilitation facility managed by the health system; and incorporate public spaces available for community relations activation, networking receptions and team hosted events.

It will be built on a parcel owned by Henry Ford between Wayne State University and Henry Ford Hospital, approximately two miles north of the new Little Caesars Arena where the Pistons will begin playing games next season. Construction is expected to begin this summer.

As part of the agreement, Henry Ford will become the official healthcare provider for the Pistons beginning with the 2017-18 NBA season, and will have naming rights for the new performance center complex.

“This is a groundbreaking alliance between two institutions committed to making a difference in Detroit,” said Pistons owner Tom Gores. “We are very excited to work with Henry Ford Health System on this innovative project, which is so much more than a simple sponsorship or naming-rights deal. It’s a long-term partnership that establishes another building block in the revitalization and rebuilding of our city.”

Wright L. Lassiter III, the president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System, offered a similar view.

“Tom has often described the Pistons as a ‘community asset,’ and we feel the same way about Henry Ford Health System,” Mr. Lassiter said. “We have always believed that investing in our community and supporting our neighbors is vital to the healthcare we provide. We are so pleased to partner with the Pistons on this exciting new venture to combine Henry Ford’s medical excellence and innovation with a world class facility to serve our community for years to come.”

Stan Van Gundy, President of Basketball Operations and head coach of the Pistons, said the new performance center will be innovative and unparalleled in the NBA.

“It’s going to be a state-of-the-art performance center for our players, augmenting our normal practice facility resources with comprehensive health, conditioning, nutrition and medical support,” Mr. Van Gundy said. “It will bring together basketball, nutrition, training, treatment and rehabilitation resources under one roof, in an environment that will put our players in the best position to succeed.”
Bob Riney, president, health care operations and COO, said Henry Ford is uniquely positioned to deliver on that.

“Beyond this wonderful new complex, it’s truly a privilege for us to become the official healthcare provider of the Detroit Pistons,” Mr. Riney said. “Henry Ford is the only provider in Michigan that offers a true ‘team medicine’ approach. Knowing that a patient’s needs extend beyond orthopedics, we provide a broad range of specialists with sports medicine training, including everything from neuroscience and cardiology, to sleep medicine and pain management.”

In addition to the center’s sports, training and medical facilities, the privately-financed facility will include corporate offices for the Pistons and PS&E staff, as well as public activation spaces.

“The team at Henry Ford Health System shares our commitment to community and our vision of creating a center that will be an asset for everyone in Detroit,” said PS&E Vice Chairman Arn Tellem. “It’s an ambitious project that will create more jobs, generate new revenue for the city, deliver innovative medical services and provide new space for community programs.”

City of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan praised the investment and organization’s future business and basketball relocation as more evidence of the city’s continued turnaround.

“This is further proof of Detroit’s resurgence and we look forward to welcoming the entire Pistons organization to the City of Detroit on a permanent basis,” Mr. Duggan said.

Basketball Benefits

The facility will be a trendsetter in the NBA with basketball practice areas directly connected to a newly developed, multi-faceted, and comprehensive sports medicine center. The performance center will house an estimated 100,000 square feet of the most-up-to-date basketball training equipment while a short walk will allow seamless accessibility for players and team medical practitioners providing injury diagnosis and rehabilitative treatment.

“Internal development is one of the most important aspects of building a winning team, while health, injury prevention and rehabilitation are crucial to team performance,” said Van Gundy. “The new performance center will provide our players the most advanced, cutting edge technology available in an environment that will condition and train them to the best of their ability.”

Bringing so many resources together in one place is expected to revolutionize the integration of sports science and research into the day-to-day schedule of each player. Technology, analytics and innovation will drive both training and recovery processes and equipment in the new building. Amenities are expected to include:

• Innovative player locker room and lounge
• Full-service kitchen/dining facilities and personal chef
• Spacious weight room facility with state-of-the art equipment
• Film and study meeting rooms
• Advanced training room capabilities with full hydro and cryogenic treatment systems
• Green space and courtyard locations for outside access and views of city
• Production studio and media/interview rooms
• Private and public parking structure to be used by both Detroit Pistons and Henry Ford personnel
• Dedicated Henry Ford Health System Sports Medicine Building – connected to performance center

Community Access

Bringing business and basketball together in one building presents exciting opportunities for the community and the new performance center will be designed in a way that allows for community access. The facility will serve as a hub for fitness, health and nutrition programming through the Detroit Pistons Fit and annual NBA Fit Week programming. Youth basketball clinics and Pistons Academy basketball programs will be hosted throughout the year. Additionally, a spacious lobby and public access locations will be available for team hosted private events, receptions and community networking activities.

Community members will continue to have access to Henry Ford’s true “team medicine” approach at the new sports medicine facility. Henry Ford employs a team comprised of traditional sports medicine experts including orthopedic surgeons, athletic trainers, and nutritionists, but, also a broad range of other specialists with additional training in sports medicine, including cardiology and pulmonary care, ophthalmology and complex spinal care, pain management and sleep medicine. Patients can talk to a nurse during extended hours and can arrange an appointment with a specialist within 24 business hours for sports related injuries. Additionally, patients have access to Henry Ford’s unique Herrick-Davis Motion Analysis Laboratory, which uses advanced 3D technology and high speed x-ray to measure joint motion with extremely high accuracy. The technology is combined with full biomechanical analysis, which documents an athlete’s movement patterns to track both problems and progress.

Economic Impact

The new Henry Ford - Detroit Pistons Performance Center will create additional construction-related jobs in the short-term and provide future economic impact for Detroit by way of city income tax and property tax revenues generated by the organization’s relocation of business and basketball operations to the city.

The new performance center is part of Henry Ford’s ongoing commitment to facilitating economic development in the New Center and greater Midtown areas. In addition to a much-anticipated groundbreaking on its own new cancer facility across from Henry Ford Hospital, Henry Ford recently sold an unused parcel of land for the expansion of the Motown Museum, and, a parking lot to make way for the new retail and housing development adjacent to the Fisher Building on W. Grand Boulevard. Additionally, Henry Ford has long supported the effort to expand the M-1 rail project, among other initiatives.

ROSSETTI, an internationally-renowned Detroit-based architecture-engineering firm, has been hired as the leading architects on the project. ROSSETTI is a global architectural design and planning firm servicing clients across a wide expanse of markets, including sports and entertainment, corporate, hospitality and retail. For 47 years, ROSSETTI has approached design as an opportunity to enhance the experience of those who use their buildings. ROSSETTI’s work includes architecture and interior design for showcase properties including Ford Field, the USTA National Tennis Center, Daytona International Speedway, Red Bull Arena, the Compuware Building, Cobo Hall Convention Center, The Chase Building and Greektown Casino Hotel. Most recently, ROSSETTI served as lead architects on the new Los Angeles Lakers UCLA Health Training Center.

The Pistons will provide additional details about the new performance center, including additional renderings and design plans, at a later date.  A digital media packet is available at www.palacenet.com/pistonspr.

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