2017+ Championship Venue Details

[Josh Fox]

Originally Posted by astroman31

I'm trying to gain understanding here, not picking a fight. So, what about Detroit is inaccurate in the description then? My impressions of Detroit are from a close friend who is finishing is residency in the city, and his stories certainly has my attention now that FIRST has announced. And they are consistent with what many others have described, even Michigan politicians. I have lived in and visited many of our nation's cities, and few, if none, seem to have the problems at the level Detroit is experiencing.

I am just trying to figure out how Detroit is a good choice an event like this. I get that there are some strong revitalization investments going on, but will they charge us an arm and a leg to stay there (aka Oakland, CA), with little affordable food options?

If you're after understanding and not a fight, broad generalizations probably aren't the best place to start, especially about a place that people work/live in/care about. And I don't know about you, but personally politicians are some of the last people I would look to for facts.

Is there a shortage of funding for snow removal/trash pickup? Sure. Is there going to be snow in late April in Detroit? Likely not, but it is Michigan so you can never be too sure. Are the streets overflowing with trash? No.

Why is Detroit a good choice? As Sam said, Cobo Hall is newly renovated. Ford Field was opened in 2002 and is a very nice facility, I'd put it on par with the Georgia Dome or Edward Jones Dome. The whole area, including the mile or so stretch between Ford Field and Cobo, like I stated before, is as safe as any areas of Atlanta or St. Louis that I've been in.

There are plenty of affordable restaurants in the city, and even grocery stores, like John mentioned above. As far as accommodations go, I'm afraid I don't have any knowledge, but if staying in the city is too expensive, there are at least a half-dozen suburbs I'd imagine could be cheaper <30 minutes away from downtown.

Some of these points were also touched on by others before you made your post. I'd read them if you want to learn more.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by steverk

As a Houstonian, I can only say how thrilled I am to see FIRST Championships return to Houston.

I'm sure that everyone who attends will be pleased with the facilities. They have good access to hotels, food, outdoor space, and parking. Houston has really worked to create a first class environment during the 27 years that I have lived here.

Like many people, I share concerns about how this change is going to affect the CMP event and FIRST overall. I also wonder how they are planning to deal with some of the logistical issues of moving robots between buildings.

Please keep an open mind. All of the cities involved have strong reasons to make sure this goes over well. I'm sure FIRST has considered this change very carefully and will work very hard to overcome whatever challenges it may present.

Frank mentioned Toyota Center for Opening Ceremonies, and Minute Maid for Closing, with GRB for the competition. Chances are Toyota will never see a robot, used only for the speechifying, etc. of Opening ceremonies. Then everyone piles out back to GRB where the Pits+Fields are. Minute Maid MIGHT host Einstein. It's a pretty short walk from GRB to there, or they might shuttle bots over. Champs has a huge sub-division/Einstein break this year which would easily cover shuffling all the alliances over to Minute Maid.

My big question mark is how they're weaving this in with the start of the MLB season. LSR has had discussion with Minute Maid Park before about hosting an event there, and they're HIGHLY protective of the grass during the season. Leaving anything set up for more than a day was right out. I have to assume whatever is happening there is getting set up the night before and torn down immediately after. Carefully.

[johnr]

Lived in Detroit 55 years. You will be fine downtown. Don't wonder off. Neighborhoods are hit and miss. Lots of food. Three casinos. Don't know about hotels. Home depot- Lowes 15 minutes north on freeway.

[maverickfan138]

To echo what Josh said, buying into what mainstream media tells everyone about Detroit is not a good thing to do at all.

Venues: Ford Field, like all other modern football stadiums is a great venue for an FRC event. The home of the Lions has its own parking structure and since it’s located across the street from Comerica Park and a block away from the Fox Theater, there’s more than enough parking within a five minute walk. Cobo Hall, as mentioned already, is newly renovated and has plenty of space for the event. One can travel between both venues and all throughout downtown by means of the People Mover (monorail).

Lodging: Detroit’s Renaissance Center has a Marriott in its middle tower. Greektown Casino, Motor City Casino, and MGM Grand Casino all have skyscraper hotels. If one’s team fancies a trip across the border, Windsor has many more large hotels. If any of these options are not within budget, there are the typical Hampton Inns, Super 8’s, Holiday Inns, and the like in Dearborn, Farmington, Southfield, Royal Oak, Grosse Pointe, and pretty much any Metro Detroit suburb (the furthest neighborhood I mentioned is about 30 minutes outside of downtown).

Food and Shops: Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, has done a fantastic job with revitalizing the Woodward Corridor. Numerous shops and eateries have opened up over the past few years as urban revitalization of the area and its surroundings continue. There is a three story Buffalo Wild Wings right off of Campus Martius. There’s a Five Guys and Olga’s within walking distance of Ford Field in addition to plenty of bars and breweries for the mentors. Corktown, a neighborhood just south of downtown and home of the former Tigers Stadium, is home to Slow’s Barbecue and Mercury Bar. These two restaurants are revered by food critics all over the country and often featured on the Food Network – they just scratch the surface regarding the delicious eateries in the area. Detroit’s new Arena District and the M1 Rail Project should be completed by the time FRC comes to Detroit. These projects should bring more restaurants and businesses downtown and facilitate travel throughout the city. It’s impossible to go hungry in Detroit.

Things to do: Outside of the competition, there’s plenty to do. Detroit is home to the Science Center, the Detroit Historical Museum, and the Detroit Institute of Arts. The Renaissance Center has a great display of GM products in their atrium. One can walk from Cobo for about three miles along the Detroit waterfront. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn is only a 15 minute drive outside of downtown and will surely be a hit with anybody involved in FRC. If anyone wants to tour college campuses, Lawrence Tech is a 20 minute drive, Oakland University a 45 minute drive, and Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan an hour drive.

Detroit is not a wasteland nor is it a warzone. The people of Detroit city are generally friendly people who are just trying to make it by and will thank you tremendously if you provide a helping hand. There are only a few bad eggs who ruin it for everybody (I recommend everyone watches Grand Torino sometime before April, 2018).

The best part about all of this is that everyone on here can have their doubts about Detroit being the next host city and/or continue to whine about the change in the first place, but when it is time to compete, we [metro] Detroiters will still welcome all of you with open arms. We will gladly show that our city the exact opposite of what mainstream media wants you to believe and that it’s a thriving, friendly, and wonderful place to be.