There was one clear message from the Detroit Pistons at the opening of their new headquarters Monday:

Everyone is welcome.

The Henry Ford Detroit Pistons Performance Center is in the New Center area about two miles north of Little Caesars Arena, where the franchise will begin its third season later this month.

Pistons owner Tom Gores, vice chairman Arn Tellem, Detroit mayor Mike Duggan and Henry Ford Health Systems president and CEO Wright L. Lassiter III touted the economic benefits of the development, which will house roughly 250 employees. Hopes are that it will serve as an economic catalyst north of downtown.

Construction of the center began nearly two years ago, cost about $90 million, and at 185,000 square feet is the largest in the NBA. Hopes are that it will serve as an economic catalyst north of downtown.

The design, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and retail space, is in contrast to similar facilities recently built by other NBA teams.

“The facility will speak for itself,” Gores said. “It is one of the best facilities — not just in the NBA, but the world.

“At the end of the day, what we have here is not just the Pistons Performance Center. That’s our official name with Henry Ford, but it’s an interaction center. It’s a place for us to come together.

“This is a place for kids to be. If there’s any kid listening, I just want to remind you when you come here, have fun, you have a good time.”

The building’s main purpose will be to house the franchise, completing the process started in November 2016, when the Pistons agreed to leave northern Oakland County for Detroit.

The players, who watched the ceremony with the audience, will practice for the first time in the facility Tuesday, the official first day for basketball operations.

Business operations will complete the move later this month.

Tenants Blink Fitness and Plum Market will be retail anchors providing foot traffic.

Blink Fitness will provide a two-floor workout space, giving consumers the novelty of training near to professional athletes.

Large windows throughout the building emphasize natural lighting. Upper floors have views of the Detroit skyline. To the north, the Fisher Building on Grand Boulevard is easily visible.

In honor of the opening, the Fisher Building’s roof will be illuminated blue until the home opener on Oct. 24 against the Atlanta Hawks.

The playing courts, with a seating capacity of 600 to 1,000, also can be used for fan interaction events.

The first-floor studio's design has a morning news show-type feel; viewers will be able to see outdoor pedestrians in the background.

Players will be able to walk across a bridge to the William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine, which opens Oct. 15.

The coaches' offices are on the first floor; front office personnel will be on the second. Business operations will be on the third and fourth floors.

There is space to house the Pistons’ Gatorade League operations; the franchise is planning to have an affiliate in Detroit soon.

The project, with tax incentives, originally was budgeted for $65 million when it broke ground in October 2017.

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