After the worrying news on Detroit’s staggering 25 per cent population decrease in the last decade, we have some good news for the Motor City as the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority announced a US$221 million renovation of the Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center, which as you already know, hosts the annual North American International Auto Show. The Cobo Center was last updated more than twenty years ago in 1989.
Under the three-year plan, the Cobo Center will undergo a dramatic facelift inside and out with the hopes of making it more competitive in the industry.
The center will grow in size with changes including a new three-store atrium and the conversion of the adjacent Cobo Arena sports and concert venue into a 40,000-square-foot ballroom space. A giant high-tech digital video screen on a revamped east exterior side of the facility is also part of the plan.
"For more than 24 years, the NAIAS has been the vehicle to drive sales and educate consumers and decision makers on a global scale with automakers’ brand messages, while it continues to be a reliable gauge of the worldwide economy,” said NAIAS 2012 Chairman Bill Perkins.
“All of these functions will now be amplified through an amazing transformation of a classic facility that will enhance the image and legacy of the NAIAS. We're building on a strong, positive momentum from NAIAS 2011, and we're encouraged by what we're hearing from automakers. The industry is rebounding, and the news about the Cobo improvements comes at a critical time.
According to the motorshow organizers, many of the renovations will be ready for the 2012 NAIAS and 2013 NAIAS, with all improvements to be completed for the 2014 show.
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Under the three-year plan, the Cobo Center will undergo a dramatic facelift inside and out with the hopes of making it more competitive in the industry.The center will grow in size with changes including a new three-store atrium and the conversion of the adjacent Cobo Arena sports and concert venue into a 40,000-square-foot ballroom space. A giant high-tech digital video screen on a revamped east exterior side of the facility is also part of the plan.
"For more than 24 years, the NAIAS has been the vehicle to drive sales and educate consumers and decision makers on a global scale with automakers’ brand messages, while it continues to be a reliable gauge of the worldwide economy,” said NAIAS 2012 Chairman Bill Perkins.
“All of these functions will now be amplified through an amazing transformation of a classic facility that will enhance the image and legacy of the NAIAS. We're building on a strong, positive momentum from NAIAS 2011, and we're encouraged by what we're hearing from automakers. The industry is rebounding, and the news about the Cobo improvements comes at a critical time.
According to the motorshow organizers, many of the renovations will be ready for the 2012 NAIAS and 2013 NAIAS, with all improvements to be completed for the 2014 show.
VIDEO
