Detroit's new sign debuted this week along I-94, causing traffic back-ups and a storm of comments on social media. Much of the criticism surrounded how it looks compared to an AI-generated image that was not done by the city.
It looks like the rendering the city actually released in February.
Comments online liken the sign to something ordered on Temu. Many criticisms note the price tag (the price comes in at about $425,000, which includes additional signage going up at entry points around the city) and the fairly uninspired design. When it was installed on Tuesday, many people rushed to get selfies near the sign, and the city started putting up fencing near it on Wednesday.
The city offered another video on Wednesday, asking people what they really thought of it. And of course, these were all fairly positive reactions.
The sign was developed for the NFL Draft, which starts in just a couple of weeks. The city is expected to host hundreds of thousands of people for the event, and many will come in from the airport along I-94. It's located near Central Avenue on eastbound I-94 (please do not pull over along the side of the freeway to get a photo).
We should expect some landscaping around it as well.
Could it be better? Of course. Is it as bad as people say? Probably not. Share your thoughts below. We also talk about this on today's episode of Daily Detroit.
