By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published May 5, 2026
GROSSE POINTE WOODS — A hockey-loving dad and former professional hockey player is seeing his dream for a youth hockey training facility in the community come true.
Ben Warda, a local hockey coach who owns Detroit Premier Hockey, appeared in front of the Grosse Pointe Woods Planning Commission April 28 to request special land use approval to turn 20481 Mack Ave. — formerly a clothing and accessories store — into a place where young hockey players can train and improve their skills. Warda, who has been operating Detroit Premier Hockey for about the last 10 years, said they run skills camps and other programs, but never had their own training space.
“This has really been a passion project,” said Warda, who lives in Grosse Pointe Farms. He’s also the head coach of the Grosse Pointe South High School varsity hockey team and the Detroit Bulldogs 9U youth hockey team. Before he got into coaching, Warda was a professional hockey player in Germany.
Because City Planner Laura Mangan, of McKenna, said this use falls under the “miscellaneous” category in the city’s zoning codes, “it does trigger (the need for) special land use (approval).”
The single-story, roughly 2,700-square-foot building won’t have an ice rink, but it will have a weight room, synthetic ice tiles, a skating treadmill and other equipment the staff and athletes can use to strengthen their hockey skills.
“There’s really minimal changes to the property itself,” said Mangan, noting that there isn’t a site plan review because the façade will remain largely the same.
One of the few changes is a planned replacement of a rear-mounted light at the back of the property with a new light that will be shielded and aimed downward, which Mangan said will be better for nearby homeowners.
Although the business isn’t a traditional retail space, Mangan said the owners aren’t glazing the windows.
“You’ll be able to see into the business,” said Mangan, adding that this is favorable in business districts.
Warda said the maximum number of students who’d be using the facility at the same time would be about 15 to 16, and that would be for team training.
“It’s going to be primarily small groups,” Warda said.
Students are dropped off for classes that last, on average, from an hour to an hour and 20 minutes. Some parents of younger children might stay for the classes, but the parents usually bring their children and leave, Warda said.
“We really want to help these kids reach their goals,” Warda said. “It’s something we’re very passionate and excited about.”
For youth hockey, he said, there’s nothing like this in the area.
Dee Eurs, who co-owns neighboring buildings at 20485 and 20489 Mack Ave., asked about traffic and parking, especially given that Detroit Premier Hockey is close to restaurants and a dance studio.
While Detroit Premier Hockey will usually be closed on Sundays, proposed daily hours during the spring — until June 14 — are 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.; those would also be the hours of operation during the fall and winter season, which starts Sept. 1. During the summer, from June 15 to Aug. 31 — which Warda said is the busiest time for off-ice training — the facility would be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“I don’t anticipate that there will be a significant increase to traffic,” Mangan said.
Planning Commission member Donna O’Keefe said there is “adequate parking” in the area.
“Of all the uses I could picture (for this site), this seems pretty benign,” Planning Commission Chair Doug Hamborsky said.
O’Keefe said she felt this business would bring families from nearby cities into the Woods and possibly encourage them to patronize the city’s other businesses.
“I think this is a win-win,” O’Keefe said.
The Planning Commission voted unanimously in favor of recommending that the Woods City Council approve the special land use request, provided that the business agrees to not cover its doors and windows and replaces the rear light with one that’s shielded from the neighborhood and directed downward.
At press time, it wasn’t known when the City Council would be voting on this matter. The special land use didn’t appear on the agenda for the council’s meeting May 4, the earliest one after the last Planning Commission session.
Warda said they hope to open May 18.