Upgraded Cobo Center may surprise, delight Detroit auto show attendees

Besides the more than 700 vehicles expected to be on display with $200 million worth of stages, Cobo Center itself is significantly different thanks to a $279 million renovation nearing the end of major construction.

DETROIT, MI- Visitors to the 2014 North American International Auto Show are in for a few surprises when they arrive at Cobo Center in Detroit.

Besides the more than 700 vehicles expected to be on display with $200 million worth of stages, Cobo Center itself is significantly different thanks to a $279 million renovation nearing the end of major construction.

The three-tier renovations, which started in 2009, are about 65 percent complete, and the expected 800,000 or so visitors to the Detroit auto show may not recognize parts of the more than 50-year-old Detroit convention center.

“The authority has done an extraordinary amount of work in a very short time,” said Cobo Center general manager Thom Connors. “I like to say what’s happening here is a reflection of what’s happening in downtown Detroit in terms of the improvements, investment, re-investment.”

The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, which is comprised of representatives from the city, the governor's office and Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties, assumed control of Cobo Center under terms of a 30-year capital lease from the city in 2009.

The 2013 Shimmer on the River, a gala that benefits the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, was held in the Grand Ballroom of the inside the newly updated Cobo Center, Sept. 13. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

Visitors to last year’s Detroit auto show may have noticed a lot of construction and a few renovations, but this year the upgrades are much more noticeable. 

In the last year, as part of phase three of the project, officials have finished a 30,000-square-foot glass atrium on the south end facing the Detroit River and converted the former Cobo Arena into a new Detroit-inspired food kitchen, glass ballroom and conference center. Not to mention, significant updates turning the exterior into a glass masterpiece.

The first phase of the construction cost about $3 million and consisted of upgrades to the center's aging electrical infrastructure and elimination of leaks.

The second phase cost about $57 million. It included enclosing loading docks, an electrical overhaul, creating 400 new parking spaces, partially re-roofing the building and adding the 25,000 square feet of exhibition space.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who toured Cobo Center and the auto show floor Thursday, said he “couldn’t be prouder of how Cobo looks.”

“It’s amazing – between the cars and the food it’s hard to imagine you could have a better time,” Duggan said. “Cobo’s never looked this great.”

The new “Detroit Made Kitchen,” located on the south end, isn’t your typical mall-style food court. Four new food shops feature Detroit-inspired dishes with locally sourced ingredients.

Food offerings include burgers made with Michigan grass-fed beef; pirogues and kielbasa from Hamtramck, known for authentic Polish food in Metro Detroit; Detroit-style coney dogs and deep-dish pizza; and fresh deli fare and salads.

View full sizeThe 2013 Shimmer on the River, a gala that benefits the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, was held in the Grand Ballroom of the inside the newly updated Cobo Center, Sept. 13. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

All items are made fresh daily and seasonal produce will be sourced locally, according to officials.

“We figured it was a great concept to go with and I think the polish (food) is going to be a real hit,” said executive chef Jamie Miller. “It’s not something you see every day … I think it’s going to be very well received.”

The three-tier, $279 million (excluding a $20-million payment to the City of Detroit) renovation is scheduled to be completed in January 2015.

Officials still have to finish the main concourse and upstairs meeting rooms surrounding the auto show floor; digital display boards on the outside of the building, among other final details with exterior features and landscaping.

Connors said one of the great accomplishments since the renovations started is that the building has remained 100 percent operational, allowing officials to grow business during construction.

The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority even surprised many last month when it announced a profit of $287,426 thanks to higher-than-expected parking revenues and lower operating costs for its 2013 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Officials originally anticipated Cobo Center to lose about $1.5 million.

"We are thrilled that we turned a small profit in a year that we knew would be a difficult transition period for us,” Patrick Bero, CEO/CFO of the Cobo Authority, said in a statement in December.

Cobo Center’s success, according to Duggan, is a reflection of what City of Detroit officials have in store for the city and its residents.

North American International Auto Show 2014 Chairman Bob Shuman, left, shows Mayor Mike Duggan around the Cobo Center in a preview tour of the Detroit auto show, Thursday, Jan. 9. Duggan toured the new additions to the Cobo Center as well as walked through the car displays being put together for NAIAS. Katie Bailey | MLive.com

“We have not translated the success that people will see here into services for people living in the neighborhoods, and that’s my job,” he said. “A year from now, I think people will feel a lot better than the services in the neighborhood.”

The NAIAS is considered one of the top global automotive events in the world and of huge importance to Metro Detroit. Since its introduction 25 years ago, officials estimate the show has had a $9.7 billion economic impact on the region. This year is expected to have a $365 million impact.

The Detroit auto show will be open to the public from Jan. 18-26 at Cobo Center, One Washington Blvd., following Press Preview Jan. 13-14; Industry Preview Jan. 15-16; and the Charity Preview featuring musician Sheryl Crow on Jan. 17.