The North American International Auto Show opened at Cobo Sunday and the Detroit Auto Dealers Association as well as automakers have wanted more room at the show for years. "We're running a couple of weeks late with that right now, but that that is a promise we made to the industry," Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick says. Kilpatrick adds his administration has met and is working with the unions that represent the thousands of carpenters, electricians, Teamsters and others who spend three months a year creating the auto show about holding the line on wages to keep Detroit competitive with Chicago and other cities that would welcome the roughly $580 million in economic impact created annually by the show.

Several plans for additional convention space have been advanced. The challenge is how to pay for such a plan with the suburbs generally balking at kicking in for a city convention center. Kilpatrick says every possible option is on the table, including the possibility of building a convention center with a casino attached.

Until then, Bob Thibodeau, president of the DADA, says automakers continue to find "new ways to squeeze more into the show every year." Thibodeau says one change that is expected to be permanent is a new, expanded second floor of the General Motors exhibit, to be used by other events at Cobo, such as the Detroit Boat Show and the NFL Experience event planned to run in conjunction with the Super Bowl in 2006. "The city and GM are finalizing those details now to have that remain in place."