Detroit’s Outer Neighborhoods Hope to Benefit from NFL Draft

By Sean Copeland, Contributing Writer From the moment the 2024 NFL Draft first announced Detroit as its host location, joy and excitement began to build in the city. A decorative sculpture stood tall downtown at Campus Martius Park, displaying a countdown to a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime event. The last time the NFL visited the city for an event of this scale was for Super Bowl XL in 2006. Over the last 18 years, the city has experienced a major renaissance, so a new visit is long overdue. The city is ready for a splendid event and to be in the national spotlight once again. For a city like Detroit that’s been routinely in the national media for negative reasons, it feels especially sweet to see the positive attention that is being placed here. To add fuel to the fire of excitement, the Lions finished the regular season with a record of 12-5 and almost going to the Super Bowl in February. But during the NFL playoffs, Detroit showed out as only it could with city buildings illuminated in Honolulu blue and silver and a watch party at Ford Field, among many events. Ford Field even hosted two playoff games, a huge...