On Cobo Hall

The Free Press is reporting that a deal is nearly done on a new Cobo authority. Detroiters are well aware that Cobo, home to the North American International Auto Show, has been mired in conflict as the City is incapable of running and financing it, but is unwilling to cede control to a regional authority. Suburban leaders want a say in the matter as the Auto Show brings millions of dollars to the region that would be lost should the Auto Show chose another venue, likely in Chicago.

While this is good news, it does not address the concerns that the Auto Show organizers have informed Detroit that they would seek another site for the 2011 show if Cobo is not expanded and upgraded. This is a no-brainer, but finding consensus on how to pay for the deal is like finding the goose that lays a golden egg.

I have to say, I beleivce that Dave Bing, the new mayor of Detroit, probably has a lot to do with this. He is the only player that has changed recently, and now a deal seems imminent. Just goes to show what a successful businessman can do. Plus, the picture in the Free Press is great. Understated power and confidence. Sure beats the bluff and bluster of many Detroit politicians(Kilpatrick, Conyers...).

One thing that I hope Detroit and the new Cobo Authority will look at is the use of the Joe Louis Arena site. Its outdated, and Mike Illitch, owner of the Red Wings, and lease holder of the Joe, has been shopping other options. The city could end the lease, raze the site and use it for expansion of Cobo. With a phased construction schedule, Cobo could remain open the entire time, though at diminished capacity, and could have a grand re-opening for the whole facility with the 2011 NAIAS. Of course, to achieve that, the project has to move now and move quickly. If the will is there, it can be done.

Additionally, the city could trade Illitch the Joe site for the Tiger stadium site. There Illitch could build a new arena complex with a new home for the Wings, and perhaps a theatre, restaurants, and hopefully for Detroiters, a proper grocery store. I'm looking at a Verizon Center/Gallery Place in DC sort of set up.

All this means a bigger better Cobo, the Auto Show stays, the Red Wings get a new facility that is on par with the rest of the organization, and the city gets a big boost from the 100s of millions of dollars that all this would cost. And I bet, if they act quickly, they might be able to get some stimulus cash too. Especially if they also built a rail link between downtown and Corktown along Michigan Ave with expandability to the west for the future.

Some aerial views to help you non-Detroiters:
Cobo and the Joe: what looks like a giant parking lot between the Joe and Cobo Arena from the air is roof parking above the existing Cobo...

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Tiger Stadium out on Michigan Ave has been torn down. This represents a great opportunity for the city.

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And a zoom out of the downtown area to give some context. Below the D in Detroit is Cobo and above the Corktown label is where Tiger Stadium recently stood.

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