Detroit’s Cobo Hall to get $90M upgrade to keep manufacturers from jumping ship
06/27/2008, 9:02 AM
By paulee
Detroit’s mayor is trying to keep the city’s North American International Auto Show alive and healthy, by introducing an expansion effort to Detroit’s Cobo Hall, the show’s venue. This comes after earlier news that Suzuki will not be present at the 2009 show. The proposed $90 million undertaking would add 80,000 square feet of display space to the venue.
Suzuki’s reason for abandoning the show was a lack of display space, which the plan would address, but other manufacturers, such as Porsche, left in 2008 on account of a poor sales in the area. The added space would come from areas in the Cobo Arena, and the whole plan is meant to act as a short-term fix before a planned larger-scale, $585 million expansion is completed.
“We’re working out the details now,” Deputy Mayor Anthony Adams told the Detroit News. “This will get done. This has to get done. We cannot lose any more vendors.”
How the city will pay for the project is another matter that needs resolving. The plan is to extend taxes on surrounding area hotels that were introduced to help pay for building Cobo Hall back in 1979. The tax is due to expire in 2015, but only $113 million of the $250 million was ever collected. There is also controversy regarding the two-stage revamping of the hall, and who will pay for any unforeseen expenses.
If a way to fund the project is found and it’s approved, the added space would represent a 11.4 percent increase in exhibition space, as Cobo currently offers 700,000 square feet.
06/27, 9:05 AM
posted by:
howsmydriving
Would have preferred a story on the Camaro to this boring story. Nothing new to report on the Camaro? Sure there is! Here’s a suggested headline: “2010 Camaro Will Not Be Offered in the Color Brown.”
06/27, 9:10 AM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
Or they could tell us about more “available” engine/trim/model combos on a car that isn’t available yet.
06/27, 9:12 AM
posted by:
Z06ified
They don’t buy Porsches in the rust belt??
06/27, 9:28 AM
posted by:
mayer_ray_nagin
Too little, too late, Detroit. How about bringing down your crime rate and making Detroit less of a craphole so marketers might not be repulsed at the thought of suffering a week there.
06/27, 10:25 AM
posted by:
Need4SSpeed
Yeah Cobo hall certainly needs it. Well the rest of Detroit needs it more.
They don’t buy Porsches in the rust belt??-ZO6ified
I don’t know. I don’t see too many in Mi. Yet I see Ferraris, Bentleys and cars that are even more expensive than Porsche’s more frequently…
06/27, 11:23 AM
posted by:
moto-racer13
I was in Detroit last month and wow what a **** hole of a city! I felt like I was in a thirdworld country. Detroit is a failing city with a populationg that is increasingly becoming poorer and more desperate. I’m not surprised at all that Porsche pulled out of the autoshow, they just don’t want their cars to be seen in such a crappy city. Now Bentley/rollsroyce want to pull out as well as other high end auto makers. And I don’t blame them at all.
06/27, 12:51 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
Send the show to Vegas. We could use more of your gambling money.
06/27, 1:22 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
Man I love Vegas. The only thing I didb’t like about it was the little beaners on the sidewalks handing out stripclub flyers. I would they would tear down that $H!TTY Circus Circus and Boardwalk.
06/27, 1:23 PM
posted by:
HemiRoadRunner
“wish they would” not “would they would” tear those down.
06/27, 3:48 PM
posted by:
bigp
thats why they wont be there makes more room for ford
06/27, 7:44 PM
posted by:
Jordan
detroit needs robocop.
06/27, 11:48 PM
posted by:
beatusmongous
When I go down to the strip, which is pretty much any time someone comes to visit because the Strip sucks for a family man, I take the cards from one beaner and give them to the next.
Boardwalk should fall down any day now.
Circus Circus is a landmark, though. They just need to give it a new facade and some new carpet. That carpet has been there ever since I can remember, and I’m 32 years old.
But if you can put up with the ugly building, the Steakhouse at Circus Circus is one of the best I’ve ever been to. Very top notch.
Still, we’d be willing to take the auto show in a heartbeat, especially after losing CES. I’m sure the Convention Center can handle most of it if not all of it. Heck, we house the SEMA show all the time. Our hotels need to stop gouging, though, but I think there is some talk about that. We’ll see.
06/27, 11:52 PM
posted by:
murderedout
Mayer rate fagin, how about you take a trip to detroit first before you knock it you faggot, you sound like an LA Fag.
As for Moto-racer, I bet you never been to Detroit, you’re just another fat virgin probally from the west, who talks smack.
I told ya ****ers it was here to stay. Noone has more automotive history than Detroit!
06/27, 11:53 PM
posted by:
murderedout
Noone is Michigan cares about the autoshow anymore, The Woodward Dream Cruise is more important, and better!
06/28, 6:06 PM
posted by:
Get Real
3 Important Words: Chicago Auto Show.
Nearby location with a better city and more to do.
Chicago isn’t as depressing with empty buildings all over.
06/28, 10:54 PM
posted by:
murderedout
Chicago? Are you ****ing kidding me? Chicago is more of a ****hole than Detroit, with a bigger population. Noone likes crowds except fags. There are more empty building in Chicago than Detroit. Chicago has no automotive history whatsoever, get the **** outta here.