Mike Member Username: Mike
Post Number: 1176 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 2:58 pm: | |
http://www.autoextremist.com/i ndex.shtml Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, The City of Detroit. Well, here we go again. It's almost January 2008, and the City of Detroit still does not have a plan to resuscitate Cobo Center. Kilpatrick is walking away from a proposed $1 billion expansion of Cobo Center, suggesting last Friday that even if he had the money laying around to pay for the complete renovation of Detroit's major convention center he wouldn't spend it all on one building, that it needs to be part of a broader effort to attract new businesses into Metro Detroit. Huh? This after an exhaustive economic study just conducted for the region confirmed that the North American International Auto Show is the "straw that stirs the drink" around here, contributing more to the local economy than anything? Even more than the recent Super Bowl? A lot more? Kilpatrick has failed to demonstrate even a shred of vision since taking office, and Detroit's city council is an ineffectual embarrassment, yet he continues to think everyone else should pay for his mistakes and his city's functional paralysis. This is what we had to say last August 29th about this subject: "The fact that this city and this region have allowed the issue of expansion for Cobo Hall to languish and fester while our embarrassingly dim-witted politicians continue to rumble, bumble and stumble through life is unconscionable. Even if there was an agreement announced today for approval and funding of a 'new' Cobo Hall, we're talking at least four years before the new facility would be ready to host a show. And judging by the impasse in discussions, we know that's notgonnahappen.com, so we're talking 2013 at the earliest. 2013! We hate to break it to everyone involved, but this issue was blown years ago when the city had the opportunity to do the Right Thing and couldn't bring themselves to do it. There is no way that the Detroit auto show will retain its title as 'North American International Auto Show' given the way things are going. Los Angeles, New York and especially Chicago will continue to slowly but surely erode Detroit's grip on the title. And this city and region will only have ourselves - and the utterly incompetent and pathetic officials we continue to put in office - to blame." |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2991 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:09 pm: | |
I agree...we're way too late to the party with the Cobo expansion...Chicago is easily going to overtake us as the biggest auto show in the country...this much is inevitable... the best we can hope for is to have adequate convention space sometime after 2012 and that maybe that extra space coupled with the casinos and whatever else might be going on in the city at that time will be sufficient to put on enough of an auto show to keep some of the positive economic impact the city receives currently |
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11001 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:10 pm: | |
Yep, it is all Kwame and Detroit's fault. That whole rambling paragrahp is non-sense written by someone who presumably doesn't know anything. Just because it is written does not make it factual. |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1073 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:16 pm: | |
So what will happen after the COBO expansion is done? What if this doesn't change a thing in SE Michigan in the long term outlook? I'm all for an expansion, yet, I want to be assured that if COBO is expanded, that this expansion will also benefit SE Michigan even more. Instead of all of this money going to other Convention centers in the region, we could have been bringing it all together to make a better COBO. |
Mama_jackson Member Username: Mama_jackson
Post Number: 254 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:19 pm: | |
Why improve Cobo? They could host it in the Dome in Pontiac, an area that also needs a boost. It's also a car town. Does the Autoshow HAVE to be in Detroit? Heck, Flint could use something like the Autoshow too. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2993 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:22 pm: | |
Allow Don Barden to turn Cobo into a Casino/Convention center! This way, Kwame gets his city's convention center expanded, Barden gets is Detroit casino, Patterson gets more than just the mini-casino he was pulling for, and Ficano gets to spend a Billion dollars w/o having to dip into the public treasury! It's perfect! |
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11003 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:23 pm: | |
I like the idea. The feasibility of it getting approval is slim but I would certainly support it. |
401don Member Username: 401don
Post Number: 142 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:26 pm: | |
Kwame was correct to say there are better things to spend a billion dollars on right now. What he was really saying to his audience in OC was - I'm in complete agreement that a scaled down version with a budget of $300 million is far more prudent. He was trying to build a consensus. I also wish people would stop comparing Chicago and LA's convention centers to Detroit. There is not one show other than the auto show all year that comes close to using Cobo's existing space. It would be nice if the Metro Convention & Visitor's bureau got there sales reps out there and helped Kwame by saying "if you add 300,000 sq. ft. we have a commitment from A and B for 2011 or 2012 that would use this additional space and we sold them based on the added space and our new hotel rooms" |
401don Member Username: 401don
Post Number: 143 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:30 pm: | |
By the way - Mama - go to the nearest high school football field and pace off the length and width. Then go to the auto show at Cobo and do the same. |
East_detroit Member Username: East_detroit
Post Number: 1294 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:31 pm: | |
Meanwhile, L Brooks Patterson is devising a method to relocate Oakland County to Chicagoland. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 2995 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:31 pm: | |
Jt1: Unfortunately, it's an awesome idea that will never happen because the current Detroit casinos gave themselves an oligopoly of gaming in this city after they got Prop 4 passed in '04. Sad really. Most people don't realize that, in addition to requiring a statewide referendum for any new casino, the law also allows the current casinos to expand however they see fit without having to ask the public for any kind of approval whatsoever. |
Rob_in_warren Member Username: Rob_in_warren
Post Number: 44 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:31 pm: | |
We can't get our 5 or 6 major counties to pony up the money to make our key industry relevant going forward. Just a couple bucks per year per person could make the cobo expansion and a lot more happen. Instead we are building a water pipeline to the northpole that will give absolutely no benefit to just about everyone paying for it. The politics in this region are absolutely mind-boggling. |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1075 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 3:34 pm: | |
Yeah, Rob. I just mentioned that. |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 575 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 4:34 pm: | |
Jesus I mentioned that a long time ago. Detroit had a chance at building a 2 billion dollar COBO. All the city had to do was place a bid for each of the casinos to build a hotel/casino/convention center. As for Barden, which owns land on the west river bank, I believe the Archer Adm. denied him because he was unprofessional, or sub-par compared to the other casinos. Remember under Archer, the casinos were required to build 800 rooms. <313> |
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1
Post Number: 11007 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 4:36 pm: | |
Remember under Archer the East River area was destroyed. He did some good but the casinos on the river debacle was horrendous. |
Thejesus Member Username: Thejesus
Post Number: 3000 Registered: 06-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 4:47 pm: | |
"Remember under Archer the East River area was destroyed. He did some good but the casinos on the river debacle was horrendous." Jt1: Can you elaborate on that? I don't know much about that whole thing...was in middle/high school back then...I know the city used its takings power to acquire a bunch of land on the East riverfront but I guess I thought the land was mostly unused...was that not the case? |
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge
Post Number: 4158 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 4:51 pm: | |
I recall the Casinos were going to build temporary structures in the city, then would have to relocate to the river by a certain date. I'm sure others know specifics better than I do. I think the first to NOT have to move was Greektown, for obvious reasons. (Not sure if it ever was supposed to move, probably just the other two?) |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 2663 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 4:53 pm: | |
quote:I agree...we're way too late to the party with the Cobo expansion...Chicago is easily going to overtake us as the biggest auto show in the country...this much is inevitable... The only things in life that are inevitable are death and taxes. Everything else is up to us. There's a great big pile of money sitting out there. Folks just have to decide whether or not they want it. |
Crawford Member Username: Crawford
Post Number: 189 Registered: 10-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 6:01 pm: | |
If another city would eclipse Detroit's Auto Show, why would it be Chicago? Wouldn't it be LA or NYC? LA is the center of much of the world's auto design, is the most car-centric really big city on earth and has the Hollywood quotient. NYC is the world's financial and media center, and the nation's largest and richest city. Chicago is much smaller than both, isn't a comparatively big international player, and doesn't have much of a relationship with the auto industry. And we make such a fuss about the weather during the Detroit Auto Show, but Chicago's winter weather is even worse. |
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313
Post Number: 577 Registered: 02-2006
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 7:02 pm: | |
JT1- I'm not a big Archer supporter, but at least he had a vision for Detroit, and the valuable East river. What plans did the city have before Archer? Do we agree that if Archer was still in office, there would be 3 mega-casinos on, or planned for the river by now? If I remember, before Archer stepped in the river looked the same way it looks right now, abandoned and underused? The way I see it, the east river is a "no harm, no foul" situation. We all know Archer had a rough time convincing the CC, but his vision for Detroit was the best since Cavanagh in the 60's and 70's. KK has a vision for Detroit, but it's not on a global scale like Archers. <313> |
Mike Member Username: Mike
Post Number: 1179 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 11:54 pm: | |
we do need a better convention area. i bet that oakland county would have no problem forking over the cash if it was going to be in the brand new downtown troy - big beaver complex. remember, metro detroit's new downtown and central city will be big beaver road in troy. |
Detroitrise Member Username: Detroitrise
Post Number: 1084 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 - 11:56 pm: | |
I've said that numerous times, lol. |
401don Member Username: 401don
Post Number: 152 Registered: 11-2007
| Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 2:25 pm: | |
I heard Bahama Breeze is the beginning of the new Caribbeantown in Troy. |
Fnemecek Member Username: Fnemecek
Post Number: 2664 Registered: 12-2004
| Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2007 - 3:25 pm: | |
quote:we do need a better convention area. i bet that Oakland county would have no problem forking over the cash if it was going to be in the brand new downtown troy - big beaver complex. Okay - so go ahead and build it. It'd cost 6 times as much as it would to expand Cobo because you're building a whole new center, as opposed to expanding an existing one. But hey, if anyone north of 8 mile wants throw away their money, I won't stop them. |