Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/4253
Black Meetings & Tourism October/November 2009: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 29 Although Detroit has been declared one of the most affected cities in the country by the current recession, it is not languishing in self-pity and despair. Instead the once "top five" ranked American city has boldly reinvented itself — optimistic about the future, yet cherishing a proud and scrappy her- itage — seizing on being a very affordable and distinctive destina- tion. The downtown area exhibits the most noticeable evidence of the prevailing "winning attitude," with a surge of newly constructed offices, hotels, shopping areas and condo- miniums, intermixed with historic art-deco buildings, statues, fountains, walkways and a four-mile long "People Mover." The movement to preserve and revamp the landmark area incorporates descriptive plaques, highlighting Detroit's accom- plishments within walking and sitting areas. One of the historic buildings that escaped destruction is The Book-Cadillac Hotel, a Westin property. It's a fine example of Detroit's new direction and underwent a $200 million renovation to reposition itself as an exemplary location for lodging, dining and events. The Book-Cadillac has 453 rooms, 30,000 sq. ft. of space and can hold 1,000 people for special occasions (313) 442- 1600/www.book-cadillacwestin.com. For larger-scale settings, Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center, the city's convention center, offers 700, 000 sq. ft. in five halls and 80 meeting rooms (313) 877-8777/www.cobo-cen- ter.com. Nearby Ford Field, a multi-purpose facility that hosts the Detroit NFL Lions, has 100,000 sq. ft. (313) 262- 2000/www.fordfield.com and Joe Louis Arena, home of Detroit NHL Red Wings has 20,000 seats and 27,500 sq. ft. of space (313) 963-6606/www.olympiaentertainment.com. In the greater metropolitan area, the Macomb Sports & Expo Center (Warren) has 61,000-sq. ft. and a 2,880 seating capacity (586) 498-4198/www.macomb.edu/eventservices, while Michigan State Fair Exposition Center (Highland Park) contains 51,320 sq. ft. (313) 369-8250/www.michigan.gov/mistatefair. The grandiose industrial and automotive boom eras can be experienced at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House (one of America's great historic homes) in Grosse Pointe. On the shore of Lake St. Clair it features striking architecture, an impressive art collection and furnishings, 87 manicured acres, with 10,000- person capacity (313) 884-4222/www.fordhouse.org. In con- trast, The Whitney is a downtown 52-room mansion, built by lumber baron, David Whitney, Jr. The house, recently convert- ed into a restaurant and event facility, has stunning interior touches, savory cuisine, a garden with a bar and can handle up to 400 people (313) 832-5700/www.thewhitney.com. Though not thought of as an art city, Detroit thrives with plenty of showcases. The Charles H. Wright Museum is consid- ered the largest African-American housing of galleries, enact- ments and artifacts, along with significant exhibits, such as "Joe Louis" and the "Legends of Music" photo exhibit. This "must see" for groups includes seven meeting areas that can accommodate up to 500 people (313) 494-5800/www.maah- detroit.org. The Detroit Institute of Arts is a multi-faceted resource with world-class exhibits, meeting rooms and a 1,000-seat theater www.dia- .org. Out of the ordinary, but extremely vital is the "Heidelberg Project." Conceived by Tyree Guyton, the nearly abandoned street spills over with folk-artscapes that have morphed into symbols of hope and survival to draw interna- tional acclaim (313) 267- 1622/www.heidel-berg.org. Also, the Arab-American National Museum (Dearborn) bridges cultures (313) 582- 2266/www.arabamericanmuseum.org. A well-known attraction worth checking out is the Motown Museum (extremely popular due to Michael Jackson's death), recalling memories for most and a discovery for others (313) 875-2264/www.motownmuseum.com. Comerica Park, the new home of the Detroit Tigers is more than a ballpark, has amuse- ments for kids of all ages and group rates (313) 962- 4000/mlb.mlb.com. Car culture is everywhere and the big three all have museums: GM World (313) 667-7151/www.discover- america.com/ca/michigan/gm-world.html, Henry Ford Museum (Dearborn) (313) 982-6001/www.thehenryford.- org/museum and Walter P Chrysler Museum (Auburn Hills) (248) 944-0001/www.chryslerheritage.com. Pegasus Tavern in Greektown (313) 964-6800/www.pegasus- taverna.com, Southern Fires (313) 393-4930/www.southern- firesrestaurant.com and Seldom Blues (313) 567-7301/www.- seldomblues.com, which includes music nightly, along with Cliff Bell's (313) 961-2543/www.cliffbells.com are dining insti- tutions. Gaming is also popular and The Motor City Casino Hotel is a prime spot (313) 309-4595/www.motorcitycasi- no.com. The Detroit Airport (DTW) is serviced by all the major airlines and a half hour from the downtown area. FAM REPORT#2 BY CHRIS J. WALKER MOTOR CITY COMING BACK FROM RECESSION Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center