(WWJ) -- Another year has come and gone, but it certainly wasn’t without its fair share of viral moments in Metro Detroit.
From new roller coasters at Cedar Point, to Detroit Lions hype, to the end of an era with the closing of a beloved Macomb County mall, here's what captured the attention of WWJ’s social media audience throughout 2024:
5. Lakeside Mall in Sterling Heights to close for good July 1, with new Town Square planned for site
This year marked the end of an era for a Macomb County staple.
Lakeside Mall, which has been around since 1976, closed its doors for good on July 1. The majority of the building, located at M-59 (Hall Road) and Schoenherr, will be demolished to make way for the new mixed-use development, the ground-breaking for which is set for late 2025.
Prior to the closing, WWJ's Zach Clark and Marisa Jenkins did a final walk-through of the mall, and remembered the years spent hanging out at the formerly bustling shopping center.
4. Detroit Gateway sign goes up along I-94 ahead of NFL Draft
When the NFL Draft came to Detroit back in April, it brought many first-time visitors to the city.
One story that captured everyone's attention was the installation of Detroit's new "Hollywood" sign, which was intended to welcome visitors as they made their way from the airport to the city.
Unfortunately, many found the finished product underwhelming (especially in comparison what was thought to be the original rendering), which created a bit of a social media storm, complete with spoof videos, memes and even a new song from Gmac Cash.
3. Detroit Lions fans set a new decibel record at Ford Field
The hype around the Detroit Lions has been strong this season, but it really kicked off last year as the team entered the post-season and won their first playoff game in over three decades.
After the Lions beat the Los Angeles Rams 24-23 at Ford Field on Jan. 14, fans took “restore the roar” to the next level, setting a new noise record at the stadium that was the equivalent of a 747 jet engine at takeoff.
In August, General Motors announced it was cutting over 1,000 jobs in its software and services division across the globe.
At the time, WWJ's Jeff Gilbert reported about 600 of the job cuts were expected to be at GM's Global Tech Center in Warren, which caused the story to gain a lot of traction across social media as it affected many local Metro Detroiters.
1. Cedar Point announces record-breaking new Siren's Curse roller coaster
It's no secret that Metro Detroiters love Cedar Point -- so what could be more exciting for local thrill-seekers than the promise of a new roller coaster?
Back in September, Cedar Point announced plans for Siren’s Curse, a new roller coaster to debut at the amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, in 2025.
It's being promoted at the "tallest, fastest tilt coaster in North America" — and the response from park-goers was pretty strong.
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