Detroit prepares for 2024 NFL draft; City expecting hundreds of thousands in visitors
(CBS DETROIT) - As the 2023 NFL draft is underway in Kansas City, Missouri, the city of Detroit is beginning begin to look toward the next draft, which is scheduled to take place downtown.
Next April, the city will see a plethora of action and activity. City leaders say next year is a time to show the world what the Motor City is all about.
"Detroit has had a bad rap but we're changing that we're making a comeback, through our citizens and through the departments that work for the city of Detroit we're ready for this and excited," said Jessica Parker, deputy COO of the Mayor's Office.
The last time an NFL event took place in the city was in 2006 for the Superbowl. With all 32 teams coming into town in 2024, local small businesses have already started the planning process.
"We have to order stuff a year in advance for some things so we are already looking to order merchandise for the draft. When it comes down to crunch time I guess our business will probably pick up a month ahead of time," said Jenny Symansic, the general manager for FanaticU, a sports memorabilia store downtown.
Though the draft festivities will primarily take place downtown, the city knows travelers will be throughout the area and they're hoping everyone will appreciate what Motown has to offer.
"We've increased our cleanup efforts. We've taken over freeways making sure they are ready to go," Parker said.
Safety of course is something that comes to mind when having large events. Local authorities are already planning and practicing.
"We've already put efforts in place to address any emergency situation," Parker said.
As the countdown is on, the city plans to work with small businesses to make sure they're a part of the draft process.
For businesses, they are just excited the city that oftentimes receives a bad rap will begin to emerge in a new light.
"You got hockey, basketball, football, all of them right within a mile of each other. People right now are happy for the City of Detroit," Symansic said.
The city sent a team of leaders to Kansas City this year for the draft, to bring ideas back for next year.
