Huntington Place

Facilities

Huntington Place is 2400000 sqft in size and has 723,000 sqft of exhibition space, with 623000 sqft contiguous. It previously featured an arena, Cobo Arena, which hosted various concerts, sporting events, and other events.

It is served by the Detroit People Mover with its own station. Huntington Place has several large, attached parking garages, as well as parking on the roof of the facility, and direct access to the Lodge Freeway. The facility is located along the Detroit International Riverfront, and within walking distance of several downtown hotels.

History

The facility and its attached arena initially cost $56 million. It was designed by the Detroit architectural firm Giffels & Rossetti and took four years to complete. Louis Rossetti was the chief architect. The facility is on the site where Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French colonist, first set foot and landed on the banks of the river in July 1701 and claimed the area for France in the name of King Louis XIV. The first convention at the facility was held in 1960 by the Florists' Telegraph Delivery (FTD). The first event was the 43rd Auto Industry Dinner on October 17, 1960, at which President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the keynote speaker. In 1989, a renovation was completed to expand its size to 2,400,000 sqft.

Joe Louis Arena, named after boxer and former heavyweight champion Joe Louis, was built adjacent to the facility. It served as the home of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League from 1979 until its closure in 2017 when the team moved to Little Caesars Arena. Demolition of the arena began in 2019.

In 2009, Mayor Kenneth Cockrel Jr. vetoed the Detroit City Council's resolution against the expansion of the facility. Shortly after, the facility came under ownership and operation, through a 30-year capital lease, of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA). The five-member Authority Board consists of one representative from each of five government agencies – the City of Detroit, State of Michigan and the three Metro Detroit counties of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. Consensus agreement from the authority is needed for all decisions, and it has become a model for regional cooperation in Southeast Michigan.

In October 2010, the DRCFA awarded a management contract to SMG, which merged with AEG Facilities to form ASM Global in 2019. It extended the contract for three years in September 2013 and again in June 2017. In 2015, a five-year, $279 million renovation was completed, including a new atrium, ballroom, and meeting spaces, constructed mainly within the former Cobo Arena building.

In 2017, in the wake of the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit riot, current mayor Mike Duggan proposed that Cobo Center be renamed due to modern reappraisals of Cobo's tenure as mayor. Cobo had upheld exclusionary covenants against African Americans, and was accused of responding poorly to allegations of harassment and police brutality against African American residents. In 2018, the DRCFA stated that it had already been considering the sale of naming rights to the facility, for the first time in its history.

In June 2018, the DRCFA approved a 22-year naming rights agreement with Chemical Bank, which took effect on July 1, 2018; the following month, Chemical announced that it would relocate its headquarters to downtown Detroit. The parties agreed to delay the official announcement until February 20, 2019, after Chemical and TCF Financial Corporation announced their intent to merge. Chemical stated that it would wait until after the completion of the merger to announce Cobo Center's new name, but that it was expected to carry the TCF branding. In the meantime, Chemical Bank logos appeared on advertising and signage at the facility, and a ceremonial bust of Albert Cobo was removed from public display. The merger between Chemical and TCF was completed on August 1, 2019, with the combined company taking on the TCF name. Cobo Center was officially renamed TCF Center on August 27, 2019.

On December 13, 2020, Huntington Bancshares announced its intent to acquire TCF. The merger was completed in June 2021, and on December 9, 2021, TCF Center was renamed Huntington Place.

In July 2025, the DRCFA approved a new $125 million expansion, which will add a 20,000 square-foot expansion to the southwest end of the building along Steve Yzerman Drive. The expansion will include a rooftop terrace, and a skyway that will connect the complex to the new JW Marriott Hotel being constructed on the site of the former Joe Louis Arena. The DRCFA aimed for the expansion to be completed by the end of 2026, in time for the opening of the hotel.

Notable events

In 1961, the show car event Detroit Autorama moved to the facility, and has been held there annually since.

Since 1965, the largest event held at Huntington Place is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This event draws thousands of international press and suppliers during its initial five days and has a charity preview party for 11,000 guests before the public opening. Since 1976, the Charity Preview has raised an average of $2.4 million yearly for southeastern Michigan children's charities. After the Charity Preview party, the NAIAS is open to the public for ten days, drawing, on average, 735,000 attendees.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Emanuel Augustus, then known as Emanuel Burton, via a ninth-round TKO on October 21, 2000. The fight took place at Cobo Hall rather than Cobo Arena.

The anime convention Youmacon has been held annually at Huntington Place since 2012.

Cobo Arena

NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships (NCAA) (1965–1981) Detroit Loves (WTT) (1974) Michigan Stags (WHA) (1974–1975) Detroit Mercy Titans (NCAA) (1989–1994; 1997–1999) Detroit Ambassadors (OHL) (1990–1992) Detroit Rockers (NPSL) (1990–2001) Motor City Mustangs (RHI) (1995) Detroit Dogs (ABA) (2000–2001)

Cobo Arena was an arena built in 1960 with seating for 12,000 that served as the home court of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1961 to 1978 and the host of the NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships from 1965 to 1981. The short-lived Michigan Stags of the World Hockey Association and the Detroit Loves of World TeamTennis called Cobo Arena home in 1974, as did the Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League, the Detroit Mercy Titans basketball team of the NCAA, and the Motor City Mustangs of Roller Hockey International.

Cobo also hosted rock concerts, by such artists as Van Halen, The Doors, J. Geils Band, Jefferson Starship, Queen, Black Sabbath, Journey, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Iron Maiden (twice in 1982), David Bowie, Ted Nugent, Prince, The Tragically Hip, The Who, Grateful Dead,Judy Garland, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Parliament-Funkadelic, Duran Duran, the Cure, Phish, Sex Pistols, Madonna, Anthrax, Exodus, Green Day, and Helloween.

Notable live albums that have been recorded at the arena include:

• Bob Seger recorded all of Live Bullet and part of Nine Tonight at Cobo Arena.
• Yes recorded two songs at Cobo Arena for their Yesshows album, released in 1980.
• Kiss recorded most of live album Alive! and video Animalize Live Uncensored at the arena and it is featured in their video for "Modern Day Delilah".
• On August 4 and 5, 1980, Journey recorded most of their live album Captured at Cobo Arena.
• The Tragically Hip recorded their Live Between Us live album at the arena in November 1996 during the band's Trouble at the Henhouse tour.

As the venue for Big Time Wrestling on every other Saturday night in the 1960s and 1970s, it was considered to be "The House the Sheik built." It also hosted Skate America in 1995.

WWE and WCW hosted numerous house shows at the arena during the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, WWE returned to the arena for a Saturday Night's Main Event special on March 18, 2006.

On June 23, 1963, following the Detroit Walk to Freedom civil rights march, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the original version of his "I Have a Dream" speech at Cobo Arena to a full house.

In January 1994, during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at Joe Louis Arena, skater Nancy Kerrigan was bludgeoned in her right lower thigh by an assailant in a corridor of Cobo Arena, which was being used as a practice facility. The assault, which was dubbed "the whack heard 'round the world", was planned by rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband Jeff Gillooly and co-conspirator Shawn Eckardt, in a plot to prevent Kerrigan from competing at the championships and the 1994 Winter Olympics.

Cobo Arena closed in 2010 as part of a major renovation completed in 2015. The space was used to construct new facilities, including the 40000 sqfoot Grand Riverview Ballroom, a new atrium area, 21 additional meeting rooms, and an outdoor terrace.

References

References

1. Duggan, Daniel. (May 1, 2011). "Rossetti redux: Preserving the Cobo legacy, undoing the past". Crain's Detroit Business.
2. "Media Kit".
3. (July 25, 2025). "Construction to begin soon on $125M expansion to Huntington Place".
4. "About Us".
5. (2018). "Cobo Center Brochure".
6. Gallagher, John. (January 2, 2015). "Cobo Center gets ready to show off". [[Detroit Free Press]].
7. Welch, Sherri. (February 12, 2017). "Groups laud improved Detroit convention experience, but there's room to grow". Crain's Detroit Business.
8. "Cobo Center".
9. "Parking".
10. "Getting Here".
11. "Hotel Information".
12. Aguilar, Louis. (March 11, 2018). "Life after the Joe: Big changes proposed for site". [[The Detroit News]].
13. Ramirez, Charles E.. (June 17, 2019). "Demo crews begin removing Joe Louis Arena's exterior panels". The Detroit News.
14. Kaffer, Nancy. (March 4, 2009). "Mayor vetoes council's rejection of Cobo Center plan". Crain's Detroit Business.
15. "Issues - Cobo Center Expansion, 2008-2009".
16. (May 4, 2012). "Cobo's rebirth delivers business: $299-million renovation attracts events, shows regional cooperation". Detroit Free Press.
17. (October 1, 2019). "AEG Facilities & SMG Finalize Merger to Form ASM Global". Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group.
18. Welch, Sherri. (September 27, 2013). "Authority extends SMG's management contract of Cobo for 3 more years". Crain's Detroit Business.
19. (October 10, 2017). "Detroit Mayor Cobo's legacy remains divisive". The Detroit News.
20. Austin, Dan. (August 29, 2014). "Meet the 5 worst mayors in Detroit history". Detroit Free Press.
21. Livengood, Chad. (August 25, 2017). "Duggan pushes to strip Cobo name from convention center". Crain's Detroit Business.
22. Livengood, Chad. (February 20, 2019). "Chemical Bank buys naming rights to Cobo Center". Crain's Detroit Business.
23. Noble, Breana. (February 20, 2019). "Chemical Bank to pay $33M to rename Cobo Center". The Detroit News.
24. Livengood, Chad. (August 22, 2019). "TCF Bank set to replace Cobo Center name next week". Crain's Detroit Business.
25. Livengood, Chad. (August 1, 2019). "TCF, Chemical Bank finish merger with eye out for buying more banks". Crain's Detroit Business.
26. Noble, Breana. (August 27, 2019). "It's official: Cobo's new name is TCF Center". The Detroit News.
27. Kelly, Dane. (December 13, 2020). "TCF Center to be renamed again after TCF, Huntington banks announce merger". [[WDIV-TV.
28. Manes, Nick. (June 9, 2021). "Huntington Bank completes acquisition of TCF". Crain's Detroit Business.
29. Ramirez, Charles E.. (December 9, 2021). "Detroit's TCF Center changes name to Huntington Place". The Detroit News.
30. Roberts, Adrienne. (December 9, 2021). "TCF Center in Detroit changes name to Huntington Place". Detroit Free Press.
31. Nagl, Kurt. (July 24, 2025). "$125M Huntington Place expansion to start after board approval".
32. Mahajan, Apurva. (August 14, 2025). "Construction begins on Second Avenue Extension in Detroit".
33. Larivee, Bob. (2015). "Hot Rod Detroit". DP Publishing.
34. Kovanis, Georgea. (January 18, 2013). "2013 Detroit auto show charity preview: Want to get in on the glitz and glamour? It's not too late". Detroit Free Press.
35. (November 14, 2013). "Sheryl Crow to play at Detroit auto show preview". [[Lansing State Journal]].
36. (January 27, 2013). "2013 North American International Auto Show is a hit with car fans". [[WXYZ-TV.
37. Wayland, Michael. (January 28, 2013). "Detroit auto show attendance highest in nearly 10 years". MLive.
38. (October 22, 2000). "Mayweather stops Burton in 9". [[Tampa Bay Times.
39. Wainwright, Anson. (July 14, 2020). "Floyd Mayweather: Just how good was the former pound-for-pound king?".
40. Graham, Adam. (February 5, 2020). "What's your con? Astronomicon kicks off crowded calendar of Metro Detroit fan fests". The Detroit News.
41. (November 7, 1973). "Detroit Loves sign No. 1 pick, Casals". [[The Times Herald]].
42. O'Connor, Larry. (May 8, 2019). "Finnerty family sees soccer legacy remain in safe hands". The Detroit News.
43. Northrop, Milt. (June 1, 1995). "RHI TAKES SMALL STEP BACK ROLLER HOCKEY LEAGUE SHRINKS BY FIVE TEAMS". [[The Buffalo News]].
44. (2008). "The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists". Running Press.
45. Woods, Ashley C.. (April 6, 2012). "End of an era: Looking back at Cobo Arena's storied history". MLive.
46. (April 22, 2016). "Prince plays Detroit: 30+ years of concert reviews". Detroit Free Press.
47. "Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI, USA Concert Setlists".
48. Graff, Gary. (November 19, 2018). "Remembering Bob Seger's key tours before his final road trip". [[The Oakland Press]].
49. Flynn, Donielle. (December 11, 2022). "Live Bullet – The Story Behind The Album".
50. Guy, Bobby. (November 18, 2021). "Classic Michigan Concerts: Journey Live at Cobo Hall 1980".
51. Guttersohn, Robert. (May 8, 2013). "Local man preserves Detroit wrestling through photographs". Royal Oak Review.
52. Hersh, Philip. (October 28, 1995). "Bobek, Bonaly Fall Short Of Mark". [[Chicago Tribune]].
53. "Cobo Arena".
54. "Saturday Night's Main Event to air on TV20 in Detroit".
55. Schramm, Chris. (March 19, 2006). "Reflections on SNME's return from Cobo".
56. "Address at the Freedom Rally in Cobo Hall". The King Institute.
57. Whitaker, Morgan. (June 21, 2013). "MLK's first 'I have a dream' speech". MSNBC.
58. Deitsch, Richard. (February 21, 2014). "Kerrigan opens up about 'the whack heard 'round the world'".
59. Brennan, Christine. (January 3, 2014). "Tonya, Nancy reflect on The Whack heard 'round the world". [[USA Today]].
60. Swift, E. M.. (February 14, 1994). "Anatomy of a Plot".
61. Gallagher, John. (May 30, 2015). "Latest Cobo upgrade will be an eye-popper". Detroit Free Press.
62. Williams, AJ. (September 11, 2013). "Cobo Center Unveils Grand Riverview Ballroom And Atrium". [[Michigan Chronicle]].