DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Grand Prix is coming back to Detroit in a matter of days, and downtown is getting ready.
The second set of road closures is set to go into effect Wednesday morning with thousands of racing fans expected to come downtown for a weekend full of events.
“I think it's another great opportunity to showcase all the great things that are going on in downtown Detroit,” said Jordan Hoffman, culinary director for Elia Group, which owns Parc in Campus Martius Park.
Hoffman says they’re hosting the Grand Premiere dinner on Friday night and expect to be busy all weekend long.
"We're really excited to have people come and enjoy Detroit and see what's going on right now,” Hoffman said.
Hear what fans can expect from Grand Prix President Michael Montri below:
Further down the road in Corktown at the Godfrey Hotel, manager Aaron Black says they’re also set to benefit. He expects near-sellouts for every weekend this summer, thanks in part to events like the Grand Prix that put Detroit in the spotlight.
“We’ll get really close to selling out if not completely selling out,” Black said of the coming weekend. "The Grand Prix definitely helps but if that's not happening, you've got lots of folks who are getting married, a holiday weekend — it’s one thing after the other, which is a great story for Detroit.”
This year marks the second year the race will return to downtown streets instead of on Belle Isle Park. Public relations director Merrill Cain says the move doubled the race’s economic impact on Detroit, topping $104 million in spending last year.
"There's just a certain buzz, a certain energy when you have a race in a downtown corridor like this,” Cain said.
Most of the track and grandstands are in place, and workers were out Tuesday setting up fencing and closing off roads. For the first time, that includes Campus Martius and parts of Woodward Avenue, which will host a dinner Friday and free concerts Saturday.
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Half the course itself is also free to view.
“It was much more of an exclusive event (on Belle Isle)," Cain said. "We wanted to move it downtown to make it more inclusive to everyone.”
While the race is set to bring large crowds and high speeds to downtown this weekend, businesses say the real impact is what they hope comes after.
“The great thing is the attention of these types of events make people want to enjoy Detroit not just during these types of big extravaganzas but every weekend,” Hoffman said. "Our goal is that during times like this, we get people exposed to all the wonderful things that are happening.”
“It draws a lot of eyes to Detroit, which is super important for this summer and summers to come,” Black said. "I think as things progress with the convention center and things like that, we’re just enhancing our brand.”
