A regional board took over Cobo Center Tuesday. This is a win for the aging convention center, the city of Detroit, and the metro region. This is a major step at dismantling decades of city-suburban mistrust and animosity.
Make no mistake, getting to this point was not without its challenges. And it was iffy until Detroit City Council chose not to torpedo the latest Cobo deal. Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. said:
I know this has been an emotional issue and a controversial issue. But it’s real simple: We don’t have the money to do this on our own. This thing is a go, and it’s something they should be happy about. It’s going to allow us to re-position Cobo to make it competitive, to secure the [North American International] Auto Show and attract other kinds of convention business.
But, the road ahead isn’t without its potholes. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson doubts revenues will cover expansion costs. Still, the very fact there is a regional convention center board is major progress for metro Detroit.
It’s taken 42 years to get to this point. I hope metro Detroit continues to move forward.
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