As Detroit prepares to host the NFL Draft from April 25-27, more than 55 million viewers are expected to tune into the television broadcast, and an estimated 300,000-plus people will be in attendance.
The main event will be held just east of Campus Martius Park in the Monroe Block, with related activities located along Woodward Avenue and spreading into Hart Plaza, which will host the NFL Draft Experience. Other gathering places throughout the city could enjoy audio and video feeds of the draft, as well.
Hotels, restaurants, and service providers across the region will reap the benefits of the extravaganza — last year’s draft in Kansas City generated an estimated $164.3 million in economic activity. We could surpass that mark with a stretch of good weather and the fact that so many major cities are located within a 500-mile radius of Detroit.
Eager to host more events, Visit Detroit, the Detroit Sports Commission, the Downtown Detroit Partnership, and related government agencies have scored some recent victories like being awarded the 2027 NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball championship, which will be held April 3-5 at Ford Field.
The timing couldn’t be better. Downtown Detroit is vastly improved, thanks in large part to billions of dollars invested by Dan Gilbert and others. In turn, the neighboring enclaves of Corktown, Midtown, and Lafayette Park are undergoing major transformations.
But what happens when all the visitors leave, the red carpets get rolled up, and things return to “normal?” With so much time in between hosting a big game, a large conference, or an occasion like the NFL Draft, there’s a great opportunity to channel more positive energy into our shortcomings.
Let’s start with education. Charter and private schools are doing a commendable job of preparing students for college, but union-controlled public schools are struggling and continue to earn low marks in national student test scores and graduation rates.
While it’s easy to think throwing more money at public schools will solve the problem, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has long advocated, the real work of preparing students for the next level comes from focusing on individual needs.
Not every student can read, write, or understand all the sciences in the same way. More individual tutoring better identifies and addresses a student’s shortcomings, versus the one-size-fits-all curriculum the school unions embrace. The good news is there are plenty of retired professionals who could serve — and would be willing to serve — as tutors and mentors.
Next up is reversing the state’s population loss. Michigan can learn from states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee, which attract more people due to low tax structures and the delivery of efficient government services. Businesses also are drawn to states and regions with a high percentage of college graduates.
Rather than working to lower taxes and making Michigan more competitive with other states, Whitmer and her team rely on offering enormous tax breaks and incentives to lure new businesses. It’s like handing out life preservers instead of fixing a ship that’s taking on water.
Because the infrastructure is now in place, Detroit is better able to pull in major events that generate millions of dollars in spending. If government leaders could roll up their sleeves and make the state more competitive, we could produce more college graduates, boost the population, and induce billions of dollars in new investment.
R.J. King
rjking@dbusiness.com
