Detroit officials take victory lap for successful NFL draft, give street closures update

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and other officials took a victory lap Monday morning in celebration of the city's successful hosting of the NFL draft late last week, which shattered attendance records and was said to leave many visitors and TV viewers with a positive impression of Detroit.

More than 775,000 people were inside the draft's downtown Detroit footprint from Thursday through Saturday, according to officials, which was a record for the NFL draft. The total visitor count for downtown was undoubtedly higher, counting people outside the official footprint, in areas such as Capitol Park and Beacon Park.

Meanwhile, 34 million TV viewers watched day one of the draft, or 6% more than the first day of last year's NFL draft in Kansas City. (Viewership numbers for days two and three are still to come.)

“The credit really belongs to the people who live in this city," Duggan said of the event's success. “Every single story you saw ... talked about the warmth or the graciousness of Detroiters and how welcoming this city was. We made an impression that I think is going to last a long time. Detroiters should be proud of the way we welcomed America.”

Downtown had a heavy police presence throughout the draft, and it turned out to be a safe experience for those who attended, with no major public safety incidents.

While the draft is now over, some downtown streets remain closed as crews work to disassemble equipment and clean up. All streets are expected to be reopened by May 7 and possibly sooner, officials said, and the QLINE is to resume full service by early next week. QLINE streetcars are currently stopping at Little Caesars Arena — the Sproat Street stop — and not entering downtown.

'Nonsensical stories of Detroit from the '80s — it’s over with'

Police Chief James White said authorities made just four arrests over the three days, including two juveniles for fighting.

“Our officers did an amazing job keeping this city safe," he said. "Our strategy was no one will go 20 yards — keeping with the sports theme — without seeing a police officer."

White later added, “Our community was ready for this. They knew we were on a national stage, excited to show who we are. (Those) old nonsensical stories of Detroit from the '80s — it’s over with. And we’re a different city, and our community was ready for this event and they showed it.”

What was life like in 1980s Detroit? Take a look back in time.

Claude Molinari, CEO of Visit Detroit, said a sports economist is working on an economic impact analysis of the draft on Detroit and area businesses, with those numbers expected in June.

“Our original estimates were somewhere between $150 (million) to $175 million," Molinari said. "I think we’re going to go way beyond that."

Molinari said it's possible that metro Detroit hotels had their best week ever during the draft.

Gilberts' vision praised

Officials said they don't have a figure yet for total governmental costs of hosting the event.

The next big events on the calendar for Detroit are the May 25-27 Movement Music Festival; the May 31-June 2 Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix, and the June 25-30 Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Duggan and others gave a special shoutout to Dan and Jennifer Gilbert for their roles in making a Detroit NFL draft possible.

Rocket Companies President Bill Emerson credited the couple for their vision and contributions over the past 15 years. “We would not have had the outcome we have today if it was not for their dedication and continued investment in the city’s revitalization."

Duggan also shared his gratitude for David Lewis, the president of AT&T Michigan, whom the mayor said rushed to provide a backup fiber-optic line for Detroit police Thursday morning — the first day of the draft — after a construction company accidentally cut the main line that connected police headquarters to crowd-monitoring cameras throughout the event's footprint.

“AT&T got the backup line installed so fast, we actually opened the gates a half hour early and let people in," Duggan said.

The mayor said he believes the success of the draft will have lasting effects for Detroit, such as encouraging young people to move to the city and start their careers here.

"I think you’re going to see them choose Detroit, and they never would have thought of it (before)," he said. "I think you’re going to see businesses open in Detroit, and it never would have occurred to them before. That’s going to be the real measure."

More: Out-of-state NFL draft visitors pleasantly surprised by Detroit

Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit takes victory lap for NFL draft, gives street closures update