LANSING – In an attempt to resolve the longstanding debate over Detroit's Cobo Hall, the Michigan House today approved legislation that would expand and modernize the facility. The new plan will reinforce the laws that passed through the Legislature in December and keep Cobo in Detroit by creating a new leasing option.
"The indecision and doubt surrounding Cobo Hall is threatening the jobs of tens of thousands of Michigan workers," said State Representative Shanelle Jackson (D-Detroit), who sponsored the plan. "Cobo has been a part of Detroit and provided jobs for thousands of our working families for years, and it's imperative that we move quickly in order to keep the Auto Show here in its rightful home. We owe it to the workers throughout Southeast Michigan that rely on Cobo for their livelihoods to come to an agreement, and soon."
The House passed a $300 million expansion package for Cobo Hall on the final day of the previous Legislature that transferred control of the facility to a regional authority. Jackson's plan proposes an alternative 30-year lease option for the property instead of transferring total ownership. The lease agreement requires the authority to renovate, rehabilitate and expand the aging facility and sets a time limit for the Detroit City Council to disapprove of the deal; else it automatically goes into effect. If the Council chooses to vote against the plan, the legislation allows the Mayor of Detroit to veto the Council action.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors come to Cobo Hall each year from across Michigan and the country, many to visit the North American International Auto Show, one of Michigan's signature events. In addition to being responsible for more than 16,000 direct jobs, it is estimated that Cobo brings $600 million in revenue annually to Southeast Michigan's economy.
"We cannot afford to wait any longer on securing Cobo and the $600 million in economic activity it creates," said State Representative Bert Johnson (D-Detroit). "We've seen leasing arrangements like this work before, such as in the case of the Detroit Zoo. This plan will help Cobo continue to be a world-class facility."