Major COBO Renovations Announced This Morning

[Danny]

I applaud the new Cobo Hall with real 21st Century architecture. Finally Detroit get's a bigger and better convention center remake.

[Gistok]

Gotta agree with Danny.... the TETRIS look was so 1980s....

[R8RBOB]

Now that the plans for Cobo are now out, it is time for the city and Mike Ilitch to reveal what the future holds for Joe Louis Arena. JLA was placed in awkward location and now that Cobo is on its way to be renovated, the city need to decides what use the land where the Joe currently resides can be used for. The Ilitches voided their contract with Joe Louis last year so are they on a year to year contract with the city?

[401don]

Wings are simply renewing the Joe one year at a time. Ilitch has been smart enough not to own any of his 3 sports venues. As with Tiger Stadium, he pays no taxes and simply hands back the keys and says, "Now don't forget to save some money to tear this sucker down while you're helping to finance my new place."

[Atticus]

You'd probably piss off a lot of folks in the 3 riverfront apartment towers... they're connected by skyway to the JLA station. Also, reconfiguring the PM route within Cobo to curve to Larned... $$$... and that would involve relocating the station inside Cobo.

Besides costing a ton of money to implement, one of the highlights of the PM is the scenic view of the river along Cobo's waterfront.

I don't think it's worth the 2 extra minutes it would shave off of the 15 minute loop.

+1 on this.

The people mover has basically evolved into a "tourist trolley," as most locals and residents know you can walk just as quick [[if not quicker) from location to location. With that being said, I actually think the people mover is an assett for tourism purposes. People feel "safe" using the people mover, and it does provide a nice nickle & dime tour of downtown.

So why not provide a scenic view. The average tourist doesn't probably realize that they lost 90 seconds on the detour, and even if they did, they probably don't care that much. Even without JLA, you could keep the JLA garage and tie that directly into the JLA peoplemover station for easy access downtown parking.

[DetroitDad]

I find the cruise ships on the Detroit River an interesting addition to the rendering video.

It would appear that the atrium entrance will be joining Cobo Hall with the former Cobo Arena. That means essentially opening pedestrian access from Washington Boulevard and Western Downtown to the Riverwalk. This is a huge improvement, as it essentially breaks up that super block into something far more tolerable.

Hey, I don't see the Freedom Gondola station in the rendering!? I thought it was supposed to go right into the atrium.

[southen]

ive photographed a lot of corporate events, most being at the ford conference center in dearborn and the mgm grand downtown, utilizing large spaces as well as breakout rooms. just based on this rendering i think cobo could easily grab some of that business. both of the other venues are nice, but they cant compare to what the new cobo will offer. as long as the price is competitive i see it being successful. that grand room looks phenomenal.

[schulzte]

This is perhaps the most important development for the City of Detroit in a long time. This plan turns a liability into an asset again, and would put Detroit back on the map for serious convention business, which is a very important economic driver for downtown; more so than a single business or the Pistons moving downtown for example. A unique, adaptive reuse for Cobo Arena could be a real key; full service convention centers need both large, modern exhibition space and flexible, convenient ballroom space to compete for major conventions. This plan provides for that and more.

It would be nice if the Ponchartrain Hotel would reopen when convention traffic improved. The Book Cadillac and Fort Shelby hotels are within honest walking distance to Cobo; maybe the Marriott Ren Cen in good weather but that is about it. Downtown doesn't have as many hotels as some of the big convention cities yet, yet probably too many rooms right now to serve downtown on an average day. An updated convention center is needed to shore up business for the hotels. I've been in cities smaller than Detroit with 8-10 major hotels within a 3 block radius of the convention center. The People Mover may actually become more important to help link some of the hotels [[Garden Inn, Greektown, Athenium, Marriott) to the convention center, and overcome the lack of hotel rooms adjacent to Cobo.

http://www.newolympia.blogspot.com

[JTistle1]

I love the Carnival Cruise ship on the Detroit River in the video!

[Gistok]

I see what you mean DetroitDad... almost like a pedestrian continuation of Washington Blvd. down the stairs/escalators to the Riverwalk atrium. The circular drive down and around Cobo Arena to Atwater is probably the least pedestrian friendly route to the water.

The ideas of tearing down Cobo Arena I always thought was such a waste. Utilizing it the way they are, makes it an architectural statement. I had always just imagined merely punching windows into the drum shaped space, but putting open glass enclosed appendages around the circular space is an even better idea.

At first I wasn't too thrilled with the drop ceiling type "hangings" in the main ballroom space, but problems with acoustics likely makes it necessary [[although I wouldn't have minded if they made the upper part of the ballroom a 3rd meeting room level).

And where the current riverfront ballroom is... they want to make that a hallway with windowless meeting rooms towards the north of that hallway. That does seem somewhat of a waste of a view... but the entire satisfactory design hardly makes it worthwhile to argue over...

[Richard]

I agree 100% conventions are a very large draw for economics,especially with the waterfront the trickle down is very noticeable.

[R8RBOB]

This is perhaps the most important development for the City of Detroit in a long time. This plan turns a liability into an asset again, and would put Detroit back on the map for serious convention business, which is a very important economic driver for downtown; more so than a single business or the Pistons moving downtown for example. A unique, adaptive reuse for Cobo Arena could be a real key; full service convention centers need both large, modern exhibition space and flexible, convenient ballroom space to compete for major conventions. This plan provides for that and more.

It would be nice if the Ponchartrain Hotel would reopen when convention traffic improved. The Book Cadillac and Fort Shelby hotels are within honest walking distance to Cobo; maybe the Marriott Ren Cen in good weather but that is about it. Downtown doesn't have as many hotels as some of the big convention cities yet, yet probably too many rooms right now to serve downtown on an average day. An updated convention center is needed to shore up business for the hotels. I've been in cities smaller than Detroit with 8-10 major hotels within a 3 block radius of the convention center. The People Mover may actually become more important to help link some of the hotels [[Garden Inn, Greektown, Athenium, Marriott) to the convention center, and overcome the lack of hotel rooms adjacent to Cobo.

http://www.newolympia.blogspot.com

I have to agree about utilizing the Pontchartrain with a renovated Cobo Center. Bing as mayor must move to encourage a chain or private owner to get the hotel opened again. For years, the Pontchartrain was one of Detroit premier hotels and it is time to get that old girl up and running again. With a renovated Cobo, the Regional Authority is going to have to work to book conventions to Cobo and having a up and running hotel right across the street is going to do wonders to get those conventions.

[English]

Miss "Top of the Pontch!"

[mwilbert]

This may seems trivial, but I think they need more dignified signage. Looking at the front of Cobo now is a visual assault on your nervous system.

[stasu1213]

I had thought that the arena should had been renovated for the new home for the Pistons. The new potential owner and the regional authority could had formed a partnership on the arena. Cobo could had been a sports/conventional center that it once was. There are spaces in the basement of Cobo that could had been used for a nice ballroom with the windowed wall included. The sports areana could had generated high revenue for the complex by the Pistons game alone. The empty hotel across the street could had been an excellent place for banquets, weekend or overnight stay for visiting teams playing against the Pistons, The circular arena still could have the glass siding with the river as the backdrop to the court and stands. I do like the LCD electronic display for advertisement. GM might start using the big screen on top of the Marriot as their adverstisement. Pedestrial traffice would had greatly increased with people walk down Woodward from a tigers game going to the Pistons game at the arena and stopping at the many shops and restaurants along merchants row, monroe block, Greektown, and the RenCEn.. Maybe the Pistons could be owned by the Region

[R8RBOB]

I had thought that the arena should had been renovated for the new home for the Pistons. The new potential owner and the regional authority could had formed a partnership on the arena. Cobo could had been a sports/conventional center that it once was. There are spaces in the basement of Cobo that could had been used for a nice ballroom with the windowed wall included. The sports areana could had generated high revenue for the complex by the Pistons game alone. The empty hotel across the street could had been an excellent place for banquets, weekend or overnight stay for visiting teams playing against the Pistons, The circular arena still could have the glass siding with the river as the backdrop to the court and stands. I do like the LCD electronic display for advertisement. GM might start using the big screen on top of the Marriot as their adverstisement. Pedestrial traffice would had greatly increased with people walk down Woodward from a tigers game going to the Pistons game at the arena and stopping at the many shops and restaurants along merchants row, monroe block, Greektown, and the RenCEn.. Maybe the Pistons could be owned by the Region

That would be a no-go on renovating Cobo for the Pistons. Cobo is too small to host NBA games and the only way you could add more seats and suites to the arena would be what Oakland/Alameda County did for the Oakland Arena now called Oracle Arena which would to lower the floor but that can only give you so much room.

You could renovate Joe Louis Arena and connect the arena to the convention center proper but Joe Louis will have the same problem it has had for the 32 years. No direct access to the arena. The arena has always been on its own island

[drjeff]

+1 on this.

The people mover has basically evolved into a "tourist trolley," as most locals and residents know you can walk just as quick [[if not quicker) from location to location. With that being said, I actually think the people mover is an assett for tourism purposes. People feel "safe" using the people mover, and it does provide a nice nickle & dime tour of downtown.

So why not provide a scenic view. The average tourist doesn't probably realize that they lost 90 seconds on the detour, and even if they did, they probably don't care that much. Even without JLA, you could keep the JLA garage and tie that directly into the JLA peoplemover station for easy access downtown parking.

I actually use the people mover a lot during the cold weather months. Sure, when it's nice outside I usually walk, but it's a lot more comfortable to stand under the heaters at the station and ride in a warm people mover across downtown when it's below freezing outside.

[Gistok]

I had thought that the arena should had been renovated for the new home for the Pistons. The new potential owner and the regional authority could had formed a partnership on the arena. Cobo could had been a sports/conventional center that it once was. There are spaces in the basement of Cobo that could had been used for a nice ballroom with the windowed wall included. The sports areana could had generated high revenue for the complex by the Pistons game alone. The empty hotel across the street could had been an excellent place for banquets, weekend or overnight stay for visiting teams playing against the Pistons, The circular arena still could have the glass siding with the river as the backdrop to the court and stands. I do like the LCD electronic display for advertisement. GM might start using the big screen on top of the Marriot as their adverstisement. Pedestrial traffice would had greatly increased with people walk down Woodward from a tigers game going to the Pistons game at the arena and stopping at the many shops and restaurants along merchants row, monroe block, Greektown, and the RenCEn.. Maybe the Pistons could be owned by the Region

How are you going to squeeze an extra 7,000 seats and all the luxury boxes into a 13,000 seat venue?? Plus where are those folks gonna park... especially if a hockey game were going on at JLA?? That's just not possible.

[stinkytofu]

In the video they have that same damn carpeting just past the one minute part. I hope they are planning on changing that.

[gnome]

It looks like a very nice plan. Not a huge fan of the proposed TV screen across the front, because it doesn't improve the interior space; it seems intended to draw pedestrians into an event as though there are thousands of people just walking around downtown with a few hrs to kill.

Now, beside the homeless folk, has anyone ever heard of thousands of otherwise unengaged people who just need to be reminded that the Tupperware Convention is in town?

By my lights, dump the huge TV and give everyone a Jet Pack or Flying Car

[Junkin4Life]

Whats going to happen with JLA in 2014????

[mikeg19]

Whats going to happen with JLA in 2014????

Razed so they can put up the Robocop Statue......

[DetroitDad]

Yeah, you have no idea how hard it is to cross Jefferson with a baby, pet, or small child. The lights are to short to make it all the way across. Cobo Center will be one of the crossings of choice, much like the Renaissance Center Sky-walk is now.

Looking at the renderings on the official Cobo Center website, it looks pretty good. I am intrigued by the new food plaza and stands near the Jefferson entrance.

Cobo Center was definitely a weak link in the Downtown four corner central business district anchors that radiate out from Campus Martius Park. Washington Boulevard is also a backbone of abandonment, with ten or so vacant buildings. Likewise, the nearby Financial District is home to high vacancy rates in several buildings. Upon completion, this project should have a profound affect on all of these areas, reactivating streets, adding a more vibrant and exciting atmosphere to Hart Plaza and Jefferson Avenue, act as a gateway to Downtown by the Lodge, I-375, and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and provide a new indoor "winter garden" atrium to retreat into during Winter weather conditions. These interior public spaces are reminiscent of the buildings of ancient Rome, connecting and mingling with the street, making a more seamless transition between inside and outside places.

I see what you mean DetroitDad... almost like a pedestrian continuation of Washington Blvd. down the stairs/escalators to the Riverwalk atrium. The circular drive down and around Cobo Arena to Atwater is probably the least pedestrian friendly route to the water.

The ideas of tearing down Cobo Arena I always thought was such a waste. Utilizing it the way they are, makes it an architectural statement. I had always just imagined merely punching windows into the drum shaped space, but putting open glass enclosed appendages around the circular space is an even better idea.

At first I wasn't too thrilled with the drop ceiling type "hangings" in the main ballroom space, but problems with acoustics likely makes it necessary [[although I wouldn't have minded if they made the upper part of the ballroom a 3rd meeting room level).

And where the current riverfront ballroom is... they want to make that a hallway with windowless meeting rooms towards the north of that hallway. That does seem somewhat of a waste of a view... but the entire satisfactory design hardly makes it worthwhile to argue over...

[R8RBOB]

Yeah, you have no idea how hard it is to cross Jefferson with a baby, pet, or small child. The lights are to short to make it all the way across. Cobo Center will be one of the crossings of choice, much like the Renaissance Center Sky-walk is now.

Looking at the renderings on the official Cobo Center website, it looks pretty good. I am intrigued by the new food plaza and stands near the Jefferson entrance.

Cobo Center was definitely a weak link in the Downtown four corner central business district anchors that radiate out from Campus Martius Park. Washington Boulevard is also a backbone of abandonment, with ten or so vacant buildings. Likewise, the nearby Financial District is home to high vacancy rates in several buildings. Upon completion, this project should have a profound affect on all of these areas, reactivating streets, adding a more vibrant and exciting atmosphere to Hart Plaza and Jefferson Avenue, act as a gateway to Downtown by the Lodge, I-375, and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and provide a new indoor "winter garden" atrium to retreat into during Winter weather conditions. These interior public spaces are reminiscent of the buildings of ancient Rome, connecting and mingling with the street, making a more seamless transition between inside and outside places.

I remember when the Super Bowl was in town and I took my cousin to Cobo for the NFL Experience and there was two things I noticed when I waited in line at Cobo to get to the main convention floor.

One was the use of DOT buses as "shuttles." The city had DOT buses to pick up suburbanites and out-of-town visitors from suburban locations to bring them downtown. This pissed me off because we were using buses where mass transit would have come in handy for such a large event and we are using "buses." Buses!!!!

Second was the number of people that was going to Cobo. I admit it was hell getting into Cobo on that Saturday before the Super Bowl. There were thousands of Steeler fans visitors visiting our city [[there weren't that many Seahawks fans around) and they were at either Cobo or the casinos. [[I came across a number of Steeler fans at the old MGM) Cobo held its own on that day and I believe with a major renovation Cobo can be a draw for Detroit.

[ridgeabilly]

Dedicating a major civic center after a Jim Crow politician is a cruel joke. Anyone who has studied Detroit history will find that the illustrious ex- candy store owner Albert Cobo was no friend to 90% of today's Detroit population. If they want to honor him in Dearborn, that's fine.