Cobo Hall

Infobox Venue
name = Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center


image_caption = Cobo Hall and Arena
nickname =
location = 1 Washington Blvd
Detroit, MI 48201
USA
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type = Convention center
Concert venue
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opened = 1960
renovated = 1989
expanded =
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demolished =
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website = [http://www.cobocenter.com/ Official website]

Cobo Hall, officially Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center, is a convention center situated in downtown Detroit, Michigan, USA. It and the adjacent Cobo Arena are named for Albert E. Cobo, mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Designed by Gino Rossetti, both Cobo Hall and Cobo Arena opened in 1960. It underwent a significant expansion in 1989 and presently holds 700,000 square feet (65,030 m²) of exhibition space. Each January, it hosts the North American International Auto Show or NAIAS. Cobo Center and the adjacent Joe Louis Arena are each served by their own Detroit People Mover stations.

Cobo Arena

Cobo Arena is a 12,191-seat indoor arena adjacent to Cobo Hall. It was the home of the Detroit Pistons (1961-1978), the Michigan Stags of the WHA (1974-1975), the Detroit Ambassadors of the Ontario Hockey League (1990-1992), the Detroit Dogs of the American Basketball Association (2000-2001), the Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League (along with Joe Louis Arena) from 1990-2001, and the University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team (along with Calihan Hall). The facility also hosted the 1990-1992 Mid-American Conference men's basketball tournaments.

Cobo Arena has consistently served as a concert venue for acts of all genres. Concert albums of Madonna The Virgin Tour, KISS ("Alive!"), Bob Seger ("Live Bullet"), Kid Rock ("Live Trucker") The Tragically Hip ("Live Between Us"), and Yes ("Yesshows") were all recorded, in whole or in part, in the arena. The Doors played at Cobo Arena and recorded the show under the name ""Live In Detroit"".

The facility also hosted the return of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on March 18, 2006.

On October 4, 2008 hip hop artist Jay-Z will hold a free concert in support for presidential democratic nominee Barack Obama and to encourage younger voters to register by the voter registration deadline. The free event will be held at Cobo Arena.

Future development

With the NAIAS growing larger each year, a variety of proposals are currently being considered for either expanding the hall's convention space, possibly by eliminating either Cobo Arena or Joe Louis Arena, or building an entirely new convention center. Critics of these proposals claim that aside from the Auto Show, Cobo Hall is rarely filled to its capacity. Proponents claim Detroit could attract more of the large conventions with a million contiguous square feet of exhibit space.

An expansion of the current facility would yield just over convert|900000|sqft|m2 and cost over $600 million. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick proposed a regional authority to build a new convention center, while Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson proposed that a new convention center be combined with a casino following the model of the Las Vegas Sands Expo Center.

Another concept presented in the media is from Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel J. "Matty" Moroun. He proposed that Michigan Central Station, which he owns, be restored as the centerpiece of a new convention center possibly combined with a casino. Such a project could cost $1.2 billion, including 300 million to restore the Michigan Central Station.

There are many ways for Detroit to leverage the cost. With a new convention center, Cobo Hall could be converted into a revenue generating upscale shopping mall with a Winter Garden facing Hart Plaza. Together with parking fees, revenue from such a project could help the city to pay off a new convention center. The Detroit Wayne County Port Authority has the power to issue bonds and could take part in financing such a project.

Photo gallery

succession box
title = Home of the Detroit Pistons
years = 1961 – 1978
before = Olympia Stadium
after = Pontiac Silverdome