Detroit Sign

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Coordinates: 42°19′57″N 83°08′13″W / 42.3325°N 83.1370°W / 42.3325; -83.1370
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Detroit Sign
The Detroit Sign at night in 2024
Map
General information
LocationDetroit, Michigan
CountryUnited States
Coordinates42°19′57″N 83°08′13″W / 42.3325°N 83.1370°W / 42.3325; -83.1370
Completed2024; 0 years ago (2024)
Cost$425,000
ClientGovernment of Detroit
Design and construction
Architecture firmFairmont Sign Company

The Detroit Sign is an American landmark in Detroit, Michigan. Constructed in preparation for the 2024 NFL draft hosted in the city, the structure is located near Interstate 94 to welcome visitors arriving from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The sign, built by the Fairmont Sign Company, spells out the word "Detroit" in 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) and 5-foot-wide (1.5 m) mint green uppercase letters. The letters stand on 2-foot-tall (0.6 m) concrete bases and light up at night. It is one of six signs commissioned by the city as part of its beautification efforts for the draft.

Public reaction to the sign was mixed, with criticisms focusing on the design of the letters and disappointment arising after city officials had suggested it would resemble the Hollywood Sign. A song by rapper Gmac Cash about the sign went viral shortly after the completion of its construction. Officials have suggested that the disappointment and criticisms stemmed from an artificial intelligence image that circulated on social media after the project was announced, which differed from their own renderings.

History[edit]

The sign under construction in April 2024

On March 28, 2022, the city of Detroit, Michigan, was selected by the National Football League as the host city for the 2024 NFL draft. The event was projected to positively impact the city's economy due to the anticipated attendance and associated activities. To prepare for the event, Detroit allocated city funds to various improvement projects, including the creation of murals, upgrading streets with better traffic lights, and enhancing landscaping.[1][2] In February 2024, the city announced that a sign inspired by the Hollywood Sign would be installed by April to welcome travelers arriving from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to the city.[3][4] Deputy Chief Operating Officer Jessica Parker stated that the sign would "be like the Hollywood Sign, but smaller" and that the "letters will look like they are floating on beautiful greenery."[5]

After the city announced the project, a generated artificial intelligence image of what the sign was allegedly supposed to look like were circulated on social media.[6] Although the image's origin is unknown, it went viral on social media despite being different from the official renderings.[7]

The city allocated $425,000 of city funding to complete the project, with the individual letters being built by the Fairmont Sign Company. Construction of the sign began in February, with the sign being completed on April 9.[8] By April 17, DTE Energy had installed LED lights inside the letters to illuminate the sign after dark. Contractors placed fencing around the sign and worked on landscaping.[9][10]

Location[edit]

The sign is located along Interstate 94 between Detroit and Dearborn, Michigan, situated between Central Street and Cecil Avenue.[11] The sign was installed there to welcome drivers entering the city from the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The city prioritized community engagement for the project, carefully involving the neighborhood and listening to community feedback during its creation.[8] The area surrounding the sign is landscaped, and the vicinity is fenced off to help prevent sign enthusiasts from being injured.[12] According to Michigan State Police Lieutenant Michael Shaw, state troopers have had to intervene with a number of motorists who stopped on the freeway for selfies.[13] The sign is one of six welcoming signs commissioned by the city of Detroit. Other signs include regular "Welcome to Detroit" signs located at Interstate 75 at 8 Mile Road, Interstate 96 at Telegraph Road, Interstate 94 at Moross Road, and at 8 Mile and Ford Road in Southfield, Michigan.[14]

Impact and reaction[edit]

After its completion, the sign received mixed reactions from residents and social media users. Criticisms mainly focused on the size and design of the letters, with some describing it as underwhelming compared to what was promised.[15] Officials addressed online comments by stating that the sign was a "testament to Detroit’s growth over the last 10 years."[16] Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan attributed the criticism to generated artificial intelligence images circulating on social media, which gave people a false impression of the sign.[17][18] Some residents began placing parody signs in their yards, inspired by the Detroit Sign.[19]

On April 9, 2024, comedy rapper Gmac Cash released the song "Detroit Sign," which humorously criticized the new sign in Detroit and satirized the city's aesthetic choices.[20][21] He composed the song in just five minutes, aiming to differentiate himself from other artists in the city, and released a music video on April 12, 2024.[22][23] Days later, Gmac Cash released a sequel titled "Detroit Sign 2," in which he addressed the sign's nighttime illumination and responded to critiques of his initial song.[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Rahal, Sarah (April 25, 2024). "The inside story: Everything Detroit did to prepare for the NFL Draft". The Detroit News.
  2. ^ Lyons, Mickey (April 24, 2024). "How Detroit has prepared for the 2024 NFL Draft". Fast Company.
  3. ^ Lofton, Justine (February 22, 2024). "Hollywood-style sign among Detroit upgrades before hosting NFL Draft". MLive.
  4. ^ Amiri, Camille (February 21, 2024). "Detroit to get its own Hollywood-inspired sign prior to NFL draft". Fox 2 Detroit.
  5. ^ Benavides-Colón, Amelia (February 16, 2024). "Detroit is getting its own Hollywood-style sign along I-94 this spring". Detroit Free Press.
  6. ^ Laster, Luke (April 10, 2024). "Residents react to new "Detroit" sign along I-94 on city's southwest side". CBS News.
  7. ^ Marquis, Erin (April 11, 2024). "AI tricked Detroit into thinking it was getting a huge Hollywood-style highway sign". Quartz.
  8. ^ a b Martin, Kylie (April 9, 2024). "Hollywood-style Detroit sign installed ahead of NFL draft". Detroit Free Press.
  9. ^ Robinson, Samuel (April 18, 2024). "Detroit's new sign on I-94 lights up after dark". Axios.
  10. ^ Martin, Kylie (April 17, 2024). "Lights added to I-94 Detroit sign; 5 more 'Welcome to Detroit' signs to come in next week". Detroit Free Press.
  11. ^ Huschka, Amy (April 11, 2024). "Where is the Detroit sign on I-94? How to drive by it, where to photograph it". Detroit Free Press.
  12. ^ "Detroit sign lights up for first time, officials plan to put up fencing to 'prevent sign fans from being injured'". WWJ. Audacy. April 16, 2024.
  13. ^ Hunter, George (April 19, 2024). "Police: Don't stop on the side of the freeway to take selfies in front of the D-E-T-R-O-I-T sign". The Detroit News.
  14. ^ "New Hollywood-style Detroit sign installed along I-94 ahead of NFL Draft". WXYZ Detroit. April 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Zorn-Kasprzak, Maya (April 18, 2024). "New "Hollywood-Style" Detroit Sign Cultivates Mixed Reviews". Hour Detroit.
  16. ^ Rahal, Sarah (April 11, 2024). "Love it or hate it, 'D-E-T-R-O-I-T' sign installed ahead of NFL Draft gets reactions". The Detroit News.
  17. ^ DeVito, Lee (April 11, 2024). "Mayor Duggan blames disappointment over Detroit's new I-94 sign on expectations set by unofficial Instagram post". Metro Times.
  18. ^ Afana, Dana (April 12, 2024). "Fake social media rendering of Detroit sign set expectations too high, Duggan says". Detroit Free Press.
  19. ^ Carroll, Tommy (May 2, 2024). "Michiganders Are Making Parodies of the New Detroit Sign". WGRD 97.9.
  20. ^ Breihan, Tom (April 12, 2024). "Gmac Cash's Diss Track About The New Detroit Sign Is Pretty Funny". Stereogum.
  21. ^ Graham, Adam (April 10, 2024). "Gmac Cash on Detroit's new 'Hollywood' sign: 'You can take it back'". The Detroit News.
  22. ^ Pandya, Hershal (April 12, 2024). "The Year's Most Scathing Diss Track Is About Architecture". Vulture.
  23. ^ Elibert, Mark (April 12, 2024). "Michigan Rapper Gmac Cash Flames City's New Landmark on "Detroit Sign" Diss Track: 'You Can Take It Back'". Complex.
  24. ^ Graham, Adam (April 16, 2024). "Gmac Cash back with 'Detroit Sign 2,' is still not impressed with city's 'Hollywood' sign". The Detroit News.
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