Woodward Dream Cruise Has Regional Economic Payoff
The event will generate approximately $56 million for businesses in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties – as well as international exposure for the area – but some merchants along the route say their sales take a dive during the event.
The Woodward Dream Cruise brings big bucks and international exposure to communities along the historic avenue each August, but business owners say the event is a blessing and a curse. The cruise benefits the region as a whole – with hotels and restaurants throughout Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties coming out as winners – but results in soft sales and shuttered doors for many merchants along the 16-mile parade route that stretches from Ferndale to Pontiac. Michael O'Callaghan, executive vice president and COO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Friday that the Dream Cruise – which is expected to attract 1.5 million people – brings in approximately $56 million for businesses in the three-county area. "The real true …
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G-Money
9:47 am on Monday, August 20, 2012
I am on the "like it" side of the Dream Cruise. However, there is an aspect of it that is not "Oh well, it happens every year, it is out of our control, and there is nothing we can do about it." And that would be the city's decision to close down 9 mile from Planavon to Hilton. The city does not have to do this. They do it by choice. The Dream Cruise would still go through Ferndale via Woodward … more ›