Question about the Cobo deal

**Meddle** · July-21-09, 07:59 PM

Detroit is losing out because of the crime rate, corrupt politicians and declining population. Why would anyone want to hold a major convention in a ghost town?

**313WX** · July-21-09, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Besides, isn't the auto industry tanking worldwide? 10 years from now, there may not even BE an auto show.

It depends, are people still purchasing/driving automobiles?

**R8RBOB** · July-21-09, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Detroit is losing out because of the crime rate, corrupt politicians and declining population. Why would anyone want to hold a major convention in a ghost town?

So what should happen next? Move everyone out, let the tumbleweeds blow in? Let the coyotes and red foxes take over?

**detmsp** · July-22-09, 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Detroit is losing out because of the crime rate, corrupt politicians and declining population. Why would anyone want to hold a major convention in a ghost town?

I don't know if you were saying this in support of scrapping the Cobo deal, but I have heard people do that. They say that Detroit has bigger problems to focus on than Cobo.... which is true. But that should only make people want this Cobo deal to happen more!

The deal involves giving up a lot of control of Cobo, which will free up city resources and collecting the $20 mill [[or however much it is) in rent. If it happens, the city can use this extra money and time to address issues like crime, education, etc.

**firstandten** · July-22-09, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by punky1

So where is old man Conyers in this equation? Does he not represent his district? It seems like there is a disconnect here with him. One would think he would be fighting for funds from Washington for his district. I guess no one put a prepared letter in front of him to sign.

Conyers is only interested in two things as he prepares to ride off into the sunset. 1) Get something passed in the house as close to a universal single payer health care plan as he can get. and 2) Bring Dick Cheney up on charges. Those things along with the MLK holiday will secure his legacy. His focus has been more national over the last few decades, since he basically has no competition in his district elections.

**gnome** · July-22-09, 06:16 AM

The main reason I'm against anyone spending anything on Cobo is because we still don't know what is going on with the Red Wings and Joe Louis Arena. Cobo is an Escher print of crazy additions, misalinged floors, exitless hallways and a loading dock designed for a yugo pulling a Tiny Tots Big Wheel.

In short, it has not had a loooong view of anything. A series of slap-dash political solutions brought to life by a pocketful of low bidders. Doesn't it strike anyone as weird that the People Mover plows through the middle of the thing? That the ceiling is 5 ft too short? That the loading Dock and the exhibit floor are at right angles to each other? If you pull into the far left bay no problem, you have almost a clean shot to the exhibit floor ... except the truck has to drive backwards for 100 yards. If you pull into the far right bay, a clear shot backwards, but you have to unload and hand carry your cargo that 100 yards. Those 100 yards are not a clean shot though. They are filled with other people unloading at the same time and jamming up 20 ft wide dock. It is a mess. And while every loading dock is madness, the one at Cobo is legendary for its Rubric Cubiness. oh yeah, there is only one way in or out of the loading dock. Ever try to exit a full elevator when fools are pushing their way in? Ever do that while carrying a 7 tiered wedding cake? On roller skates? Backwards? In a blizzard? That's Cobo's loading dock.

Why?

But what about The Joe? How long is that going to be there? 1, 5, 10, 20 yrs? No one knows. ... And people want to tell us the Cobo Expansion is going to cost X when there is no plan for The Joe? Huh?

All of that is beside the fact that Cobo cuts off the River view from the city. I'll never understand why you'd want to build a windowless building with a million dollar view.

As far as losing the North American International Auto Show to Chicago... give me a break. The NAIS ... you know where their office is located? In the Detroit Area Dealer Association building on Big Beaver. The head of NAIS, ... is the director of DADA.

The reason the NAIS exists is to drive biz to the dealerships. They are not going to move the NAIS to Chicago ... because it would not drive biz to their Detroit dealerships.

Call me old fashioned, or maybe just jaded by years of countless, "trust me" schemes, but I am laoth to give a dime to anyone who won't - or can't - tell me how they are going to spend it.