Maybe that new Detroit sign along I-94 isn’t so bad after all.
A week after the city was hammered with criticism on social media for spending more than $269,000 on the big, blocky letters, many people warmed up to the sign once it was illuminated Monday night.
The city installed the “Hollywood-”style sign last week ahead of the NFL Draft in Detroit planned for April 25-27.
At first, the sign was mocked for falling short of expectations, especially considering its hefty price tag.
But that criticism — and there was a lot of it — gave way to admiration when the chunky, eight-foot-tall letters lit up along I-94 eastbound between Central Street and Cecil Avenue.
“See it’s cute yall,” one woman exclaimed on Instagram after a video of the illuminated sign was posted.
“That looks way better,” another user posted with a fire emoji.
One person added, “I know they was like wait until they see this bitch light up.”
“Perfect example for Detroit — people talk about you and don’t fuck with you until you shining,” one post read.
Another wrote, “It’s actually nice, yall horrible people.”
New Detroit sign has begun being lit up at night https://t.co/inttdRH6HD pic.twitter.com/LIUargEy6W
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) April 16, 2024
The city is adding landscaping to the sign this week.
“Once the landscaping is done its gonna be dope,” one person wrote.
The city spent an additional $135,900 on five smaller “Welcome to Detroit” signs that will be erected on M-39 at Eight Mile Road, M-39 at Ford Road, I-75 at Eight Mile Road, I-96 at Telegraph Road, and I-94 at Moross Road.
The signs were built by the Fairmont Sign Company, which for 50 years has been a Detroit-based, family-owned business.
Mayor Mike Duggan blamed the criticism on confusion caused by an unofficial image shared on social media that was likely created by AI and depicted an enormous sign towering over the freeway. That image was never intended to be a rendering of the actual sign, but it sure seems to have raised expectations.
