Construction begins on main stage for NFL Draft

It's almost show time for this month's NFL draft.

Construction has started on the draft's main stage, or "theatre" as organizers describe it, located just east of Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit where the Monroe Street Midway is.

Workers began erecting the stage late last week and will continue to work on it through the month. On Tuesday, cranes lifted metal pieces into the air.

The entire draft site will cover 2.1 million square feet and feature 1,210 LED video panels. A 15,000 linear fence will surround the site, according to details from Visit Detroit. More than 400,000 people are expected to converge on the city for the draft, which runs April 25-27.

"The Draft theatre will hold thousands, and the Draft footprint will have tens of thousands of fans," said Christopher Moyer, senior director of communications and public affairs for Visit Detroit. "The exciting thing for Detroiters and our out-of-town visitors is that the total capacity will be hundreds of thousands of fans between the NFL Footprint, Greektown, Corktown, Eastern Market, The District Detroit, and the Draft Day in the D Experience. This is going to be a party that everyone is going to want to say they experienced."

In early March, league officials detailed their plans to the Detroit City Council, including images of what the stage will look like. The first round begins April 25, continues April 26, with the final rounds on April 27.

More:NFL, city planners offer first look at next month's draft in Detroit, footprint, activities

Draft-related festivities and events are planned throughout downtown during the event, including near Hart Plaza, in Corktown and at the Fox Theater.