We're new and improved, Detroit says

DETROIT — NFL players said it all season: We want to go to Detroit.

While the Motor City is destination No. 1 for professional football players, it is probably not among the top tourism destinations for most Americans.

But city officials and members of the Super Bowl host committee want out-of-towners to know that a new and improving Detroit awaits them.

The 40th edition of the Super Bowl hits Detroit's Ford Field on Feb. 5, and along with it will come tens of thousands of people, from players and fans to the media and celebrities.

What will they find? Everything from a winter carnival and casinos to world-renowned works of art and local history, including a tour of a Ford factory and a museum devoted to Motown.

Those who still think of Detroit as a blighted, dangerous industrial city in decline will be especially surprised by the new look of the city's downtown.

Abandoned buildings are being converted into loft apartments and office space along Woodward Avenue, Detroit's main thoroughfare.

The skyscrapers of the Renaissance Center — the most recognizable feature of the city skyline — have been overhauled along the redeveloped waterfront of the Detroit River, which separates the United States and Canada. The largest tower has been decorated with a 24,000-plus-square-foot vinyl wrap celebrating the Super Bowl. The WinterGarden, a five-story glass atrium with sweeping views of the river on the south side of the RenCen, opened in 2001 and has several restaurants and Detroit-themed stores. It will house the Super Bowl's media center.

Software developer Compuware Corp. has moved downtown from the suburbs into a 15-story complex with a Hard Rock Cafe, Borders bookstore and a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop.

On the south side of the Compuware building sits Campus Martius Park, which opened in late 2004. In summer, a park fountain shoots jets of water more than 100 feet in the air, while a skating rink is the main winter attraction. During Super Bowl week, a winter carnival called Motown Winter Blast will be held there, with a 200-foot-long snow slide, sled dogs and ice skating. Heated tents will showcase musical entertainment and some of the city's best cuisine.