DETROIT — The clock touched down on Campus Martius a little over two years ago, counting down the days, the hours, the minutes coming up to Detroit’s big moment.

It’s the culmination of a vision, years in the making. For a few days in April, Detroit would become the epicenter of the NFL, bringing its best and brightest into the league.

The proposal involved hundreds of thousands of persons flooding to Detroit’s downtown area, traveling from neighboring NFL cities and all across the country, delivering an economic boost and buzz that may have a lasting influence, while perhaps transforming the perception of this city.

Thursday, that vision comes to life. And as Detroit gets ready for its close-up, hosting the NFL Draft for the first time, it’s hard to imagine a finer time for this city and its NFL franchise to promote itself to a national audience.

“I’m so excited about the draft being in Detroit,” Lions general manager Brad Holmes said last week. “I really am. It’s just another opportunity for our franchise, our city, just for the world to kind of flock to downtown Detroit.

We have numerous large NFL markets that are within driving distance. I expect it to be quite packed. I’m excited for the local businesses. I simply think it’s going to be extremely exciting.”

When the NFL announced it would be transferring the draft from its traditional host city of New York and inviting proposals from other NFL cities, the Lions, along with the Detroit Sports Commission, swiftly went to work on a pitch that would land them the draft.

It was a competitive market. Patience was required. Chicago was first, hosting in 2015 and 2016. Then came Philadelphia, Dallas and Nashville. Following a virtual draft in 2020, it returned to an in-person model with Cleveland and Las Vegas up next, and Kansas City hosting a year ago. And now, after years of planning, Detroit is on the clock.

“This is going to be a party that everyone will want to be at,” said Claude Molinari, CEO of Visit Detroit. Detroit’s downtown region is as robust as it has been in some time. A variety of financial investments have been made throughout the years to rebuild the city.

City officials have been keen to promote all Detroit has to offer, working with the Lions and the Detroit Sports Commission to obtain the draft. Since the official announcement of Detroit as the location of the 2024 NFL Draft two years ago, those in charge began putting their plans into action.

As the host city, Detroit has a variety of activities scheduled. The draft is free to the public, with city authorities inviting fans to register online or through the NFL OnePass app for entrance – however entry inside the draft theater will require tickets. Starting at midday Thursday, the festivities will commence.

Hart Plaza will host the NFL Draft experience, which will feature attractions including an autograph stage, photo opportunities with the Lombardi Trophy, all 57 Super Bowl rings, oversized helmets of all 32 teams, a Taste of Detroit set-up, 40-yard sprint and vertical testing and an NFL goods shop.

The 2024 NFL Draft Theater is located near Campus Martius. Per the Detroit Free Press, the theater took four weeks to build, has 2 million square feet of operational space, will be lit up by 50 million LED lights and will hold 1,500 fans per day.

The theater will also stage daily free concerts throughout the draft, led by Detroit native and rapper Big Sean Thursday evening. Local bars and restaurants are anticipated to throw watch parties for the draft, and benefit from all the extra foot traffic.

In total, authorities expect the draft to bring in an estimated $175 million to $200 million in income for the city of Detroit, showing its resurgence to a national audience.

“Very excited to see all those people downtown and get the whole world to see Detroit maybe in a different way than what they perceive right now,” said Lions president Rod Wood. “I think it’s going to be a great three-day commercial for the city.” The same could be said of its NFL franchise, too.

In many respects, the Detroit Lions’ rise has paralleled their city’s. A franchise recognized largely for its history of losing, the Lions are slowly but surely altering their image.

This process began three years ago, when the franchise’s administration formed a search committee to choose its next head coach and general manager.

Interviews for both roles were performed simultaneously – an uncommon strategy, but one that ultimately led them to head coach Dan Campbell and Holmes.

Those two were tasked with constructing a winner out of the Lions – no small accomplishment. Even before the franchise’s fate reversed, there had been a quiet conviction among team officials that the Lions had it right in Holmes and Campbell. They were building through the draft. They were developing their culture.

They believed things were different, so much so that the Lions took advantage of the spotlight whenever it was offered, rather than hiding from it.

Two years ago, the Lions were featured in “Hard Knocks,” the HBO documentary series highlighting the ins and outs of a club prior to each season.

Many teams are obliged to participate in the show, hoping to evade the dozens of cameras filming their decisions and talks in training camp. The Lions, however, volunteered — perceiving it as an outlet to display what they’d been creating under Holmes and Campbell. Fresh off a 3-13-1 season first season, mind you.

“That makes a show the best, because that’s usually when the access is the best,” NFL Films’ Shannon Furman told The Athletic in 2022, when asked about the difference it makes when clubs desire to appear on the show, rather than being forced to.

“The Lions basically said before it got to that point that they liked the state of their team, their coaching staff. So they kind of chatted about it and agreed that they were going to volunteer for it.”

The Lions have come a long way since. When the 2022 schedule was initially revealed, the Lions were the only NFL team without a prime-time game. They had a franchise-record five last season, going 4-1 in those games.

next that 3-13-1 2021 season and a 1-6 start the next year, the Lions have now gone 22-8 – playoffs included. Detroit won its first division title in 30 years, its first playoff game in 32 years and reached the NFC Championship Game, falling just shy of the franchise’s first Super Bowl participation. A frustrating finish for the club, but a run that won’t soon be forgotten in this city.