NFL draft in Detroit touted by Whitmer as big win for city, state

With the eyes of football fans around the world on the NFL draft in Detroit starting Thursday and hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to descend on the city’s downtown, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she sees a chance to change the perception of Michigan’s largest city.

"I'm really excited about this week here in Detroit. It is just one more chapter in the story that we continue to tell the world about what’s happening in Michigan, what's going on here in the city of Detroit," Whitmer said during a panel called "Motor City Momentum: Draft Day Economics" held on the rooftop of a downtown building Wednesday.

"People … operate with old notions and that's why we've got to be the best ambassadors we can be. That's also why we got to host events like this to invite people and to see it with their own eyes," Whitmer added.

Claude Molinari who heads Visit Detroit — the economic development organization that promotes metro Detroit as a destination for business, conventions and tourism — sees a similar opportunity to shift the view of Detroit for those tuning into the draft on TV as they watch drone footage of the city's skyscrapers. "I think it’s going to change that perception for decades to come," he said.

But what does the draft mean for those living in Detroit?

City Council Member Fred Durhal III said they can take pride in their city. "I want folks to walk saying, 'Wow we here in the city of Detroit hosted one of the largest sporting events in the country," he said. He also said the draft provides a boost for minority businesses. The NFL draft has left at least one neighborhood business association complaining that they were left out of the planning process to leverage the economic opportunity of the big event.

Over the next few days, those coming from out of town will fill hotel rooms, dine at restaurants and drink at bars. The economic impact of their spending won't be clear until after the teams have made their picks and their fans return home. But Molinari projected it will land between $175 to $200 million in spending. Visit Detroit is planning to work with a sports economist to conduct an analysis following the event.

Whitmer backed his call on state lawmakers to pass a revolving large special event fund to attract similar events moving forward. "You just can’t go to the corporate community and constantly say, 'You guys got to pitch in.' I think it’s got to be a state effort," Molinari said.

Whitmer has recently clashed with Democratic lawmakers on some economic development policies. Senate Democrats passed a bill to take funding currently slated to subsidize businesses and divert the money instead to a community investment fund. Whitmer reiterated her opposition to the legislation Wednesday. "We've got different views about how we can get to maybe some of the same goals," she told reporters.

One of the key aims the governor and lawmakers from both parties say they share is reversing the state's sluggish population growth.

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And Whitmer said she sees the upcoming draft as a chance to introduce more people to the state she leads.

It wouldn't be the first time the governor has used Michigan's sports offerings to lure prospective residents. After the University of Michigan's football team won the national championship earlier this year Whitmer touted it as a victory for the state.

"That win last night is going to maybe make some people say, 'Well I want to learn a little bit more about Michigan,'" Whitmer said the day after the game during an interview with FOX 2 Detroit.

Whitmer empaneled a population council last year to recommend ways to grow Michigan’s population. Among its ideas, the group proposed investments in public transportation, an overhaul of the state's public education system and paying workers to move to Michigan.

Free Press personal finance columnist Susan Tompor contributed with previous reporting.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: NFL draft in Detroit celebrated by Whitmer