Lasting Effect of the SuperBowl

[monsoon]

The supporters of the SuperBowl said the city money used to support the event would have a lasting postitive effect on Detroit. Did that happen?

[Michi]

It did. Detroit will continue to suffer from negative imagery well into the future, but I think that the investments that were made with the intent to improve the city were well worth it. They are living steps in the right direction. By that I mean they matter even if they don't seem like they do.

Detroit has such a long way to go in redefining itself it's oftentimes difficult to fathom the magnitude of reversal. The Super Bowl played a huge role in setting a new benchmark in which to work. I think we are so stuck in our ways here in Michigan with the way we do things that its hard to break out of a vicious cycle that has been so cruel to the city for so long.

There is a large philanthropic base here that we are blessed to be able to take advantage of. And while the sense of community may be lacking as a region, funding projects for the greater good enforces community bridging, which in turn, mends wounds both social and physical. Campus Martius Park and Compuware are great examples of that at work. The East Riverfront will be another successful working example when it is complete and links to other communities...again both socially and physically.

[hudkina]

Let's see: Before the Super Bowl Jimmy Kimmel made remarks about riots in Detroit if the Pistons won the NBA Championship. During the Super Bowl Jimmy Kimmel taped a Detroit-themed show in the Gem Theatre in Downtown Detroit. I'd call that a positive effect.

[Mojo]

If anything it exposed Detroit to many developers who now see Detroit as fertile ground. As of late, we've been seening and hearing of lots of out of state developers trying to stake their cliam in the D.

[Michi]

In fact, it seems as if the majority of developers taking the greatest risks and embarking on the greatest potentials are those from out of state who are use to making cities great. With the exception of a few, it seems most developers locally don't get much more creative than gas stations and suburban strip malls.

John Ferchill, the Cleveland developer of the Westin Book-Cadillac said, "Detroit's a lot better town than Detroit thinks it is," Ferchill said. "That's one of the true problems here. People don't understand that Detroit is a good town."

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, left, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, and Joe Galvin, Regional Director ofthe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development admire a model of what the Book-Cadillac hotel and condominiums will look like when the restorations are complete. Kilpatrick said reopening the hotel is a key step in the city's effort to revive downtown, where billions have been invested in the last decade.

The renovation of this building alone is equivalent to building a new 33-story Westin/condo tower. Prior to its completion, this parcel in downtown Detroit was (is) obsolete...other than some nice, old, vacant architecture to look at. This goes for all of the other buildings that are vacant and being brought back to life. Even though it's not new construction, it's still equivalent to it in a sense.

[hudkina]

And hopefully this will spur redevelopment in the Capital Park area in an effort to reconnect the Washington Blvd area to the rest of downtown.

[Michi]

It most definately will. Where was it that I recently read about that area? Could it have been ModelD or some other source? Anyone know?

[Jasoncw]

It looks like you can see the B-C's addition on that piece of cardboard. It looks like they're going to try and match it, which should look nice.

[Wordsmith]

And hopefully this will spur redevelopment in the Capital Park area in an effort to reconnect the Washington Blvd area to the rest of downtown.

Wouldn't Capitol Park concern the area east of Woodward and Grand Circus Park concern the area west? Not trying to poke fun, I would just like clarification.

WS

[hudkina]

Not sure what you mean, but the Capital Park area is the triangle that exists between Woodward Ave, Washington Blvd, and Michigan Ave. At the center is Capital Park.

Basically, what I'm hoping is that developers will start looking at the Capital Park area for redevelopment as both the Washington Blvd area as well as the Woodward Ave area continue to blossom.

[Jin Kim]

Wouldn't Capitol Park concern the area east of Woodward and Grand Circus Park concern the area west? Not trying to poke fun, I would just like clarification.

WS

The Capitol Park is generally west of Woodward (along Griswold/Shelby - between Woodward and Washington Blvd.) and the Grand Circus Park is on both sides of Woodward as Woodward bisects the park.

Once B-C is renovated, hopefully it'll have a positive impact on the Capitol Park as it's backside is a very short block (if you can even call it a block) from Capitol Park. Also, the DDOT bus depot there will be moved and made part of the new transit center on Time Square/Bagley. So there's now an opportunity to turn it into more of a park. Though I've seen no plans as such, I presume general downtown development master plan (if there is one) lays that out.

However, I remain a bit skeptical in that regards b/c there's no sign of improvements on many buildings that surround the park. A few that had some activities a couple of years ago have remained more or less untouched since then. And, what's been touched are crap.

Just to give those who are not familar a better idea of how little and slow redevelopment has been in that area - a "coffee shop" has been in development for past... I think 4-5 years now in a small glass structure (maybe 75sq ft foot print) attached to a parking garage on the northwest corner of Grand River and Griswold. I walk by it often on my way to a lunch spot. On rare occasions I see someone working in it, I make a point to ask how things are going. Though, there's been a bit more activities in the past few months it's pretty clear it's going to be a long long while before this place will open for business. For example, early last Jan. I asked if they were planning on opening for the Superbowl. The guy working in it was not at all confident that they'd be open before July this year - a complicated lighting scheme he explained. Yes, I'm sure a complex lighting scheme is what's holding them back.

[Jasoncw]

I like the Triangle parks. The road layout was designed to have a lot of open space, and all of the funny angled roads are supposed to be more effiecent than the grid.

Imagine how south of Michigan would have turned out if that plan was put into place. That Monroe/Woodward/Jefferson pie would probably be even more fantastic than it is now.

[RustTown]

I'm trying to figure out who voted "no" to this question. Regardless of how big of an impact the Superbowl made, anyone that knows anything about how Detroit obsessed over the SuperBowl deadline wouldn't vote "no." Entire projects set the SuperBowl as their deadline. The effects are lasting; the only debateable question is how much redevelopment/development the event stirred.

[SkyDave]

As an outsider looking on the inside, I would say Detroit has a huge positive residue from the Super Bowl. Most people (outside Michigan) were pleasantly suprised at the real Detroit as opposed to the negative image it has carried for so long. Now, outside developers are pouring in to put their stake in the Detroit of the 21st century. The locals continue to fight each other and remain largely negative,

Detroiters need to wake up and be willing to believe that the city has turned a corner! Yes, it is making the slow rise from the ashes of its past, but you have a great future and much to celebrate.

[Michi]

You are absolutely right. It's not going to be local boosters that are going to be the convincing force of the general local public here, it's going to be the national developers from the outside coming in and taking over what could have been accomplished by "us".

[RustTown]

But, there really aren't enough boosters to tell you the truth. I've said this at the Fab Ruins site, but I've yet to see a city or region more hard on itself than Detroit. Sure, you may meet Detroiter's abroad that tell you glowing old stories of the "good old days" but right on the other side of that is how much they don't believe in the city or region. I've yet to meet more pessimistic-minded people than Metro Detroiter's about their own region.

[Michi]

Well, that's what I meant. In order for those types of people to "see the light", it's not going to be done by the same old dead rhetoric produced by ourselves. It is going to come from the Peebles' and the Furchill's of the nation coming in and say, damn...Detroit's got rockin potential and we're investing. I guarantee you, that same sort of work ethic does not exist in our local economy (with few exceptions). We know how to build suburbs because it is cheap, easy, and our governments still subsidize our own distruction. When that's all you know how to do, it's going to be very difficult to change attitudes and behaviors of the local populus. They'll recognize how crappy our state has become, but they don't realize or don't except that it boils down to the person-level and the choices each individual makes or votes on.

[Jasoncw]

ok, the last post that I can see in this thread is by michi on july 7th, but the forum says the last post is:

"Today, 09:59 AM

Last post by: Michi"

and it keeps on happening everyday...

[hudkina]

It's because anytime someone votes in a poll it goes to the top of the page. It's annoying.

[Jasoncw]

ohhhhh, I guess that makes sense.

[statedude3]

Jason, I've been thinking the same thing for a week now. I think the poll should be locked so that only comments will bump the thread.

[urban_izzy]

The spirit of the Super Bowl tonight got me to bring this thread back to life for a few comments.

1. The SBXL weekend was one of the best times in my life.

2. Never has Detroit looked so nice as it did then.

3. Last year I heard from media members that Detroit was way more enjoyable than South Florida.

So my question is are the lasting effects from the super bowl still showing after 2 years? Also, are the banners from the bud bowl still hanging from Tiger Stadium????

[wolverine]

I think people got a better perspective of Detroit. When I was there, I heard so many comments though that said "This glamor will never last"

They were actually correct, store facades were boarded back up, graffiti reappeared along the freeways, the lights went out, and a couple projects hyped up during the superbowl never really happened. But the state's economy is mostly to blame.

Against this huge negative force though, I think the Superbowl had a significant impact. It was VERY good for the city.

[tapezord]

if nothing else, it convinced John Hertel (and I am sure many others) that transit can indeed work in the City if you coordinate resources and efforts. He indicated last week that it was Super Bowl XL that convinced him to take the job to develop the detroit transit plan.

[Michi]

Though, I agree the economy is primarily to blame, I just don't see why the hype and momentum that was VERY REAL and tangible can't be carried out on a daily basis. There are buildings on Woodward and vacinity that were rehabbed and facades improved for no apparent reason. Why? For nothing, as far as I am concerned. You'd think that either they could be filled by now or that that kind of care would have spread to other properties. If there's no rhyme or reason for doing it and the stakeholder didn't mind making a loss (apparently a lot have) then why not keep doing it?

I still have yet to fully grasp the Super Bowl TLC and how it was a temporary event, when it was proven to be a fact that these types of things can get done depsite a big event coming into town? How do we know? Because all the care that was taken is still very apparent, yet the use of the buildings, in some cases, is at a minimum.