Detroit’s Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center will undergo a $221 million renovation plan. The Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRFCA) unveiled plans for the project this week. The project entails the modernization of the facility to include a 40,000 square-foot ballroom, a concourse atrium, back-of-house circulation system, new façades and mechanical and electrical upgrades. The convention center is the home of the North American International Auto Show.
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Tvsdesign will design the interior and exterior of the building. "The Cobo project will revitalize this very functionally sound facility to increase its market reach, while at the same time capitalizing on its terrific site along the Detroit River," said C. Andrew McLean, FAIA, principal in charge of the project for tvsdesign, in a statement. "In addition, the new and exciting interior and exterior make-over will serve as a symbol of the resurgence of the city of Detroit."
"The Center will be re-introduced as a state-of-the art venue that will address the needs of its premier event, the North American International Auto Show, and that will provide the space and infrastructure components that other major conventions, conferences and trade shows look for when they select a location," said Jay Thomson, AIA, project design principal for tvsdesign, in a statement. "But, at the same time, we want the renovation to reflect some of the unique qualities of the Detroit area and of this site. We have a magnificent location next to the Detroit River that we want to be a highlight of one's experience here. And we hope that the changes will provide the building with a new sensibility that corresponds to Detroit's history as a center of creativity, technology, and design."
The renovation of the Cobo Conference and Exhibition Center will be complete by 2014.