Oakland lawmakers reject Cobo expansion plan

[RustTown]

Well, it looks like Wayne County is going to have to find the another partner if it wants to expand Cobo. But, really, what else is knew? To tell you the truth, I really don't think the cost of the refurbishment and expansion was the real issue, here. I knid of get feeling that if this was talk about building a billion dollar Cobo in the OC, perhaps, the vote would have been different. lol

Oakland lawmakers reject Cobo expansion plan

If Wayne County officials were hoping to get some support from Oakland County officials for the latest plan to improve and expand Cobo Hall in Detroit, they can probably forget about it.

By an 11-1 vote, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners

[Michi]

Don't hold your breath. Cobo will do a half-assed expansion through local funding and Rock Financial Showplace in Novi will become Oakland County's new "Cobo" when it is expanded 2-fold. Isn't that how things have worked in this region for the past 50 years? Haven't we been dumbasses for long enough, or do we still have some years left?

[RustTown]

More so than this being about the convention center, I think this is one of the many tests for regionalism. What gets me even more is that all this plan entails is extending the liquor and hotel tax for additional years.

[wolverine]

I'm going to be presenting my COBO hall project to the TCAUP faculty and critics in about an hour. My building costs 1.7 Billion. This is not a good sign before a presentation!

[Zissou]

Good luck! I really did like your concept.

[Michi]

Well, on the bright side at least it's not 7.1 billion!

[hudkina]

The only way regionalism would work is if Wayne County annexed Oakland and Macomb counties...

[RustTown]

Or the other way around.

Everytime something like this comes up, I hate that Detroit is squeezed into the northeastern corner of its county meaning a lot of the money gets 'stuck' in Oakland and Macomb. I mean, Chicago is really lucky (among other things) with how large its county is and where its placed within its county, forcing better regionalism. Detroit ends up having to fighting with two other counties, let alone the smaller internal fight you find between any large city and the county is lies in.

[RustTown]

Fianco and those wanting this must do a better job of selling this proposal. Even then, capital projects are going to be a hard sell no matter what they may be, considering our current environment.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../705310493/1003

Michigan residents lukewarm on Cobo upgrades, poll shows

Less than 40 percent of people polled in Michigan believe an upgrade of Cobo Hall is either "important" or "very important," according to a quarterly poll commissioned by a public relations firm and a Lansing-based newsletter.

Support is strongest in Metro Detroit for investment in Cobo Hall, where the North American International Auto Show is held, but falls quickly outside the Motor City, where the convention center is located.

[wolverine]

ouch.

[Jasoncw]

1 billion dollars is a lot of money. I wonder, if that much money was spent on other improvements downtown, which would have the more positive effect. Or even more, what if 1 billion dollars was spent on the neighborhood improvement plan.

Still though, the auto show, and whatever new conventions there could be are important too.

I don't really know what to think about Cobo, whether it's worth the money or not. I do think it is important to have a new one, but I think other things might have a priority. But yeah, I don't really know.

[RustTown]

Cobo is important to not just the city and region, but the entire state, which is frustrating to realize when so many don't. It's a large component of the state's tourism industry that woefully underfunded.

[tapezord]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../705310493/1003

Michigan residents lukewarm on Cobo upgrades, poll shows

[Michi]

Isn't $1 billion right around the right spot though? I mean, there's demolition of the Joe, demolition of Cobo Arena and then all the costs of expansion and construction in either direction. I'd imagine the price tag would level a bit lower if it was just an expansion we were dealing with. When you really put 2 and 2 together, this is a major overhaul of infrastrucutre taking place and will transform a significant section of prime downtown. It's truely a long term investment and is unfortunate that residents only have the capability of looking ahead not past tomorrow...let alone not south of 696.

[RustTown]

Michigan residents are also lukewarm on the whole "going to college" thing. I don't put much stock in their opinions. (though, in a democracy, i think i read somewhere that their "opinions" are important to the process.

[rbdetsport]

Demolitioning Joe Louis Arena is not in the plans. It should be though. Why not bring the square footage up to 1.3 million or something instead of doing a small renovation every 20 years.

[RustTown]

They are having a hard time, enough, selling a 270,000 foot addition and renovation, let alone a bigger more extensive plan. If anything, the plans will be scaled back further. The state doesn't have the convenience, anymore, of throwing as much money at these type of projects, anymore, not in this economic environment.

[detroitfan]

Kilpatrick: Let's rethink Cobo expansion

David Josar / The Detroit News

MACKINAC ISLAND -- Arriving at the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Leadership Conference today, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said the latest proposed plan to refurbish Cobo Center should be modified, and suggested some of the money that had been considered for improvements should go to other projects -- such as regional transportation.

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?A.../706010458/1003