At this year’s Detroit auto show, rumors were circulating that the event might be moved elsewhere in 2009, with Detroit’s aging Cobo Center at the center of the controversy. With the public leg of the auto show starting tomorrow, plans have already been disclosed for a major renovation of the venue, which should secure the show’s future in Detroit for years to come.
The $595 million plan was announced yesterday by Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Next week, legislation supporting the project will be introduced to the Michigan House, according to the Associated Press.
The plan calls for an additional 120,000 square feet of floor space, and a major renovation of the existing facilities. Cobo currently has approximately 700,000 square feet of space.
Groundbreaking could start within a year, but it’s unclear how long the project would take or whether it would affect the next Detroit auto show.
