It's about to get a lot tougher and more expensive to put a jersey on the Spirit of Detroit, according to a new policy from the Detroit-Wayne Joint Building Authority.
Earlier this month, the DWJBA voted to amend its policy that allows jerseys to be placed on the sculpture in front of the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center.
The previous process originally charged a $6,500 fee.
Now, the new policy will only consider requests from teams that have won a national championship and the fee has increased to $25,000.
The first jersey was put on the Spirit of Detroit in 1997 after the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. Since then, it has worn 19 different jerseys of winning Detroit sports teams, education institutions and other organizations.
“Each year, the DWJBA receives a growing number of requests to dress the popular Spirit of Detroit sculpture in commemorative jerseys," Commission Chair Sharon Madison said in a release. "Based on past experiences and lessons learned from the 2008 restoration, the Commission has determined that the installation of jerseys can erode the wax coating and patina covering. The process of installation and removal can result in damage."
