Quote Originally Posted by masterblaster View Post
Nobody is saying we need to build stadiums for badminton and fencing. Mr. EMU STEVE'S comment was that those convention organizers would be pleased with our CURRENT facilities.

Also, in order to attract an MLS squad, a new stadium is required by that league.

Detroit has never been in the same class as NYC, London, and Paris, and will never be 1/20 of those places [[nor will a whole lot of big cities in the U.S.).

Let me ask you this. You never, ever, ever give solutions. Only criticisms and put-downs. Since you criticize every single proposal or action to improve Detroit, what do you propose Detroit do to grow its economy, attract businesses, attract residents? Are you capable of offering any ideas or solutions, or are you only capable of knocking everyone else's.

I think Bham is contending that you can't build an economy focused on professional sports and events, which are heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Detroit was arguably the wealthiest city on earth during the 1920s, and it wasn't because of the Red Wings or NCAA.

Events are nice, but they're bread and circuses. I tend to agree with Bham that too much energy is expended on "attracting events" in lieu of making reasonable policy choices that can help to grow an economy.

Sure, Cleveland hosted the RNC in 2016, which attracted many visitors. But the locals stayed home, and most downtown restaurants that had not been rented out for the week did less business than usual. Even our public market--outside of downtown--that is usually busy on weekends and a tourist attraction in its own right, was absolutely dead during the convention. The real improvements have been incremental and painstaking, taking place with the construction of new housing and opening of small businesses.

If you want to be Indianapolis, though, go nuts.