Friday, September 21, 2007

Councilmembers question Ilitch lease on Cobo Center, Joe Louis Arena

9.20.07


Cobo expansion plans under way

David Josar / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The director of Cobo Center told a city council committee this morning that the Detroit Auto Dealers Association is expected to give his staff a presentation soon on a proposed 30,000-square-foot expansion.

Director Tom Tuskey said he is unsure of the details but that he will give council the information as soon as he meets with the dealers group, which puts on the annual North American International Auto Show in Cobo.

"They want a modest expansion. They have some conceptional plans but they have yet to present them," said Tuskey, who appeared before council to give an update on the long-term lease Olympia Arenas has for Joe Louis Arena, the Cobo parking garage and Cobo meeting areas. "It could be as early as next week or a little after that."

Tuskey noted that several other plans are being touted to boost the size of Cobo.

For example, Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, since last December, has been shopping a $968 million plan to buy and expand Cobo to ensure Detroit keeps its signature auto show.

"This is a Detroit facility," Councilwoman JoAnn Watson said. "Let's keep the horse before the cart."

Meanwhile, Councilwoman Monica Conyers asked whether it was "fraud" that Olympia Arenas, one of the companies controlled by the Ilitch family, has what is essentially a 60-year lease on Joe Louis Arena, Cobo and the parking garage.

An opinion by the legal department found the agreement is binding. They also said an earlier determination that the company had to give notice whether they wanted out of the lease this summer was wrong.

City lawyers determined that while the deal was inked in 1978, the terms of the contract didn't come into play until 1980, when a permanent occupancy permit was issued for the facility.

"This seems wrong to me," Conyers said.

Speculation has ramped up in recent months over whether the Red Wings, which play in Joe Louis Arena, would stay there or build a new facility behind the Fox Theatre and Hockeytown Cafe, which are also owned by the Ilitch family.

The team has not made a decision on what to do.

The deal was made before the Ilitches owned the team.

You can reach David Josar at (313) 222-2073 or
djosar@detnews.com

No comments:

TVT has welcomed more than 178,000 unique vistors

TVT, founded in December 2006, has averaged more than 20,000 visitors annually. It is produced with the support of scores of individuals from coast-to-coast, each a volunteer citizen activist/jounalist, who review tips and compile the verifiable details and documents that are the hallmark of our content.

Since our first post, more than 178,000 visitors have accessed the details compiled uniquely at TVT.

The citizen activists behind TVT wish to extened a big "THANK YOU" to all those who have provided "tips" -- contributed pictures, documents, link suggestions, leads, reports, insight and comments. Your trust and confidence in TVT has allowed us to create a comprehensive resource that thousands of others -- including bloggers, journalists, Members of Congress and other local citizen activists around the country -- have come to rely upon.

We invite feedback and constructive comment and want you to know you are welcome to do that here in "comments" or by contacting us directly and confidentially via allverifiable@gmail.com

Google News: Indian Gaming

NEWS: Bay Mills Indian Community & Casino Proposals

NEWS: Shinnecock Indian Nation (Gateway Casino Resorts) Casino Proposals

NY Times: Shinnecock Indian Nation

NEWS: Los Coyotes Indian Tribe

NEWS: Los Coyotes / Barwest Barstow Casino Proposals

NEWS: Michael J. Malik, Sr.

NEWS: Marian Ilitch

Muckety.com: Mapping Social Networks

Play with the interactive tool here or visit Muckety.com

TIP: Search for multiple entries in the Muckety.com database simultaneously by separating their names with the word and

certainly must reads!

Ilitch has backed loosing sports teams and pizza, but casinos in Detroit? Forbes.com 10.09.06 ● Marian Ilitch #1 on "25 Most Powerful People" to Watch 2006” global gaming business o1.oo.o5 ● My Kingdom for a Casino Forbes 05.08.06 ● Big Lagoon’s casino dream awakens north coast journal 07.28.05 ● Shinnecocks launch legal claim to Hamptons land newsday.com 06.16.05 ● Ilitch Plans to Expand Casino Empire RGTonline.com 07.05.05 ● Ilitch outbids partners MichiganDaily.com 04.14.05 ● Ilitch enmeshed in NY casino dispute detnews.com 03.20.05 ● Marian Ilitch, high roller freep.com 03.20.05 ● MGM Mirage to Decide on Offer for Casino in Detroit rgtonline.com 04.16.05 ● Secret deal for MotorCity alleged freep.com 02.15.05 ● Los Coyotes get new developer desertdispatch.com 02.08.05 Detroit casino figure to finance Barstow project LasVegasSun.com 07.07.03 ● Indian Band trying to put casino in Barstow signonSanDiego.com 06.04.03 Pizza matriarch takes on casino roles detnews.com 10.23.02 ● Vanderbilt gets short straw in negotiations for a casino Lansing Journal 10.06.02 ● Indians aim to drive family from tribe in vicious dispute san diego union tribune 04.09.00 ●Malik owns 2000 Michigan Quarter Horse of the Year Michigan.gov 01.01.00 ● Detroit Team to run Michigan’s newest Indian casino detnews.com 05.23.99 Tiger ties tangle Marian Ilitch detnews.com 04.29.99 ● Three investors must sell their Detroit casino interests gamblingmagazine.com 04.25.99 ● Partners’ cash revived election; They say money was crucial to Prop-E detnews.com 04.25.99 Investors have troubled histories las vegas review journal 04.27.99 ● Investor served probation for domestic assault on 12 year old boy detnews.com 04.25.99 Can a pair win a jackpot?: local men hope to... crainsdetroit.com 03.17.97

The Verifiable Truth