Cosm dome rises in downtown Detroit
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The Cosm Detroit site near Campus Martius. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
Detroit's highly anticipated Cosm venue is quickly moving from construction site to something much closer to reality.
Why it matters: The project promises a new kind of sports and entertainment experience in the heart of downtown, near pro stadiums and where a major streetscape overhaul is already underway in Greektown.
Driving the news: Cosm CEO Jeb Terry this week offered one of the clearest looks yet inside the development.
- The project is "making great progress" and remains on track to open this fall, Terry said in a seven-minute walk-and-talk posted to social media.
The intrigue: Cosm venues center on a massive, planetarium-style LED dome that surrounds visitors with a 180-degree field of view, using "shared reality" technology to mimic sitting inside a live stadium.
- When Cosm Detroit opens, the city will join Dallas and Los Angeles as a Cosm location, as well as Atlanta, whose Cosm venue is set to debut in June.
State of play: The dome structure is now visibly taking shape, Terry's tour showed, with framing and installation underway.
- Crews are building a multilevel space designed to keep fans moving between bars and other amenities.
- A new lounge concept and tunnel-style entry into the dome aim to mimic entering a stadium.
- VIP-style suites are also part of the design.
- Cosm Detroit is part of Bedrock's mixed-use Development at Cadillac Square.
Zoom in: Axios Cleveland reporter Troy Smith visited Cosm L.A. in the fall and called it one of the best sports viewing experiences he's had. We checked in with Troy this week. He said the Detroit construction site isn't the same as Cosm L.A.'s exterior:
- "The outside of Cosm L.A. was pretty plain and unassuming," he said. "I think their goal with the exteriors is to fit more neatly in the middle of a sports/entertainment district in a city."
What's next: A fall opening would align with Lions season — and potentially a Tigers playoff run.
The last word: "This is not a theater, this is not a stadium," Terry said. "It's just Cosm."