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" I&amp;#039;m writing this from Terminal 2 of the San Diego Airport, trying to mentally prepare myself for the shock to my system that I&amp;#039;m about to experience when I land in Detroit for the 2014 North American International Auto Show. Had it not been for a few events that were set into motion in the late 2000s, I could be boarding a plane to Chicago or some other even colder place. &amp;quot;The rumors were, and maybe more than rumors, that the NAIAS was threatening to leave Detroit, &amp;#039;Motor City,&amp;#039; for possibly Chicago or elsewhere,&amp;quot; says Andrew McLean, a principal with tvsdesign Architects in Atlanta, Georgia. McLean was the head of a team tasked with designing the recent renovations to Cobo Center, which opened in 1960 and where the NAIAS has been held since 1965.  &amp;quot;A lot of this was over lack of space and over some lack of being up to date. With the drawback in the economy, from 2008 and forward, the Auto Show, like many events, shrank in size. This took a little of the heat off the size issue,&amp;quot; McLean continues. This meant the focus was shifted to updating Cobo&amp;#039;s infrastructure and facilities as opposed to just adding square footage. The NAIAS was and still is Cobo Center&amp;#039;s marque event, and the city of Detroit was keen to see it stay. This meant that several of the renovations that have already been and will be made cater specifically to the auto industry. The $299 million renovation, funded by the state of Michigan, is currently about two years into its three-and-half-year build schedule, and it&amp;#039;s being completed in phases so as not to interfere with the NAIAS each January. READ THIS: Overheard in Detroit: Gossip from the Mercedes-Benz stand One of the biggest changes recently made to Cobo Center is the re-appropriation of the adjacent Cobo Arena as a ballroom. As the former home of the Pistons and Red Wings, Cobo Arena holds a certain amount of nostalgia for Detroit residents, so it was important for the structure to be a part of any future plans.  &amp;quot;The ballroom&amp;#039;s potential for exhibits is enormous,&amp;quot; explains McLean. The atrium has now been split into two levels: &amp;quot;Within this shell, we placed 25,000 square feet of new meeting space at the atrium, or river level, and upon it, at the primary exhibit hall level, a new 40,000-square-foot grand ballroom.&amp;quot; Within this ballroom are two roughly car-sized stage lifts built for the specific purpose of dramatically unveiling new cars. 2014 marks the first year in which the new ballroom will be used during the NAIAS. Several other changes have been made with the NAIAS in mind. &amp;quot;There have been numerous upgrades to Cobo due to its age,&amp;quot; McLean says. &amp;quot;All systems have been modernized\u2014mechanical, electrical, controls, life safety, audio/visual. The electrical upgrades include provisions for European voltages so those automakers can avoid bringing transformers to their exhibits. The NAIAS probably has the need for more lighting intensity to show off their products than any other event in the world. Electrical capacities for this important feature have been a super high priority for Cobo Center in making the facility highly user-friendly for its premier client.&amp;quot;  Work on several new exterior cosmetic changes will begin after this year&amp;#039;s NAIAS. A new 200-foot-long glass canopy entry facing downtown Detroit will be constructed on the east facade and will feature a flowing design inspired by modern cars. A huge digital reader board will be mounted behind the glass facade and will be used to promote future events at Cobo. It&amp;#039;s no secret that Detroit is a city that&amp;#039;s had its share of problems in recent years. The NAIAS is a huge annual event that brings millions of much-needed dollars into the local economy, but, perhaps more importantly, it remains a symbol of Detroit&amp;#039;s status as the center of the automotive universe, one that will remain in the city for years to come. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-shows/detroit-auto-show/news/a6749/how-detroit-almost-lost-its-auto-show/>