Detroit is ramping up its makeover efforts, as the NFL Draft, scheduled for late April, is poised to bring a flood of visitors and a potential economic boost to the city; Detroit's Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has outlined a game plan featuring a suite of projects designed to enhance the downtown experience. With over $5.5 million allocated for these endeavors, improvements include revamping Woodward Avenue's sidewalks, giving parking lots a fresh coat of function and style, and installing a comprehensive wayfinding system to help locals and out-of-towners alike navigate the bustling urban landscape, ClickOnDetroit reports.
According to a WXYZ interview with resident Candace Cooper, who has spent over a decade in the heart of Detroit, this urban facelift is a display of basic civic pride and maintenance. Detroit's hallmark of self-representation, the city's dedication to grooming itself extends beyond these immediate projects, as a Hollywood-style Detroit sign is slated for installation along I-94, said Jessica Parker, deputy COO for the city, hinting at a wider beautification strategy stretching beyond downtown’s confines.
On the ground level, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation president Kevin Johnson emphasized that the city's spruce-up job isn't just for the show during the NFL Draft hovering on the horizon. These upgrades carry long-term value for Detroiters, portraying a sustained commitment to the enhancement of their cityscape. In a statement obtained by WXYZ, Johnson conveyed that the city had been on this track of improvements well before the event's confirmation, fortifying Detroit's reputation for forward movement.
A collective sense of anticipation seems to permeate the atmosphere as football fan Cedric Sutton told FOX 2 Detroit, cheering the city's burgeoning beauty and vibe, whilst local Michael Yousif muses about the increasing business and social buzz in Detroit, from his skyscraper vantage point, with parking lots also in the running for a series of uplifts, ranging from art murals to trash receptacles, thanks to the DDA's cash injections aimed at motivating owners to polish these often-overlooked urban spaces, eligible property proprietors could receive up to $15,000 to amp up their parking terrain's allure.
In parallel, the Downtown Detroit Partnership is encouraging business operators to ensure their online visibility is optimized by staying current with their Google profiles, riding the digital wave of marketing ahead of the NFL Draft. This digital pep rally is part of a broader plan by the DDA and the city's organizations to ensure that when the NFL Draft arrives, Detroit will be dressed to impress, signaling a city that's primed and pumped for its close-up, the details of which can be discovered at [email protected].
