Curiously local newspapers did not cover hearing on Mike Malik's proposal for a Harsens Island housing development and man-made lagoon

The Clay Township Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing last night on Michael Malik's latest proposal for a 380-acre housing development to surround a man-made lagoon on Harsens Island; however, curiously we did not find a reminder of the public meeting in the Times Herald this week nor did we find a report on the meeting's proceedings in today's paper. (The TH did publish a notice on the meeting 19 days ago).

Grande Pointe Development LLC (Mike Malik's company) has paid Clay Township $10,000 in planning and consultant fees to review the development proposal according to township Clerk Michael Pellerito.

Grande Pointe Development is managed by Malik, a one-time Clay Township resident and casino syndicator. He is also a former real estate agent and Algonac City Councilman. His company applied in March for a permit to build "cluster housing" on the former Boys & Girls Club property. In cluster housing, several residential units are grouped together and large open spaces are left between the groups of units. His project is far more than "cluster housing."

While the Times Herald has reported as part of various stories that the housing development project was simply a "condo development;" in fact, 2/3rds of the property in the proposed development appears to be dedicated to a man-made lagoon surrounded by 75 single family home lots and 96 townhomes or "detached condos" built in clusters of six; the remaining units would be located in traditional multi-story buildings on the back 1/3rd of the property on the opposite side of a new bypass road Malik proposes. The lagoon feature would include a canal with unobstructed access to the North Channel of the St Clair River; and a clubhouse is positioned at the entrance to the lagoon on the point of a man-made island which is in the center of the project.

Malik's Grosse Pointe Shores neighbor Matty Moruon, owner of Detroit's Ambassador International Toll Bridge, has proposed to build a toll-bridge (Harsens Island Crossing) to connect the Island with Algonac across the St. Clair River.

Lucky 7 Development LLC and Grande Pointe Development LLC are two Malik controlled entities proposing the housing development project. Attorney Tim Stoepker is apparently involved with and representing Michael J. Malik, Sr.'s interests in the venture.

Yet another set of circumstances linking Ilitch / would-be Harsens Island Developer and Detroit International Bridge Builder

Not only has attorney Tim Stoepker represented the Ilitch Family's Little Caesars Enterprises and various environmentally challenged, and often controversial, corporate interests; but the real estate attorney/developer and spokesman for Michael J. Malik's latest Harsens Island development proposal is also tied to Matty Moroun's Detroit International Bridge Company. Malik is an Ilitch associate who has organzied several casino syndications reportedly bankrolled by Ilitch.

According to the Thomson Legal Record the litigation record for Timothy A. Stoepker, a partner at the Dickinson Wright PLLC law firm, includes representation in these two federal legal matters:

Detroit Intern. Bridge Co. v. Canadian Pacific Ry. Ltd. (Oct 2005)
Detroit Intern. Bridge Co. v. Canadian Pacific Ry., Ltd. (Sep 2004)

Most recently Stoepker has served as spokesman for Grande Pointe Development (Lucky 7 Development), Malik controlled affiliates with plans to develop a 450-acre housing development centered around a large man-made island and lagoon with access to the north channel of the St. Clair River. Malik first proposed development on the site 18 years ago; and he's had to abandon several subsequent proposals for the site.

Matty Moroun has proposed development of a toll-bridge across the north channel of the St. Clair River from just west of Algonac to Harsens Island. The fixed span bridge would provide two traffic lanes with a raised sidewalk and bike lanes and crosses the channel at a slight skew to allow adequate connections to the existing roadway network.


You may also want to review these additional posts:

• Grosse Pointe Neighbors have big plans for Harsens Island
• Developer's first plans for 450-acre holding on Harsens Island introduced 18 years ago
• Proposed Harsens Island development much more than 'condos'
• Harsens Island developer has a history of fighting environmental concerns
• Harsens Island developer is actually a lawyer with ties to environmentally challenged corporate interests & the Ilitch Family

Why did Sen. Carl Levin's political committee return $4,600 from Mike Ilitch?

Why did Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) refuse Mike Ilitch's campaign contributions? Or why did Ilitch ask for his money back?

On March 30, 2007 records on file with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) -- and available for inspection via PoliticalMoneyLine.com -- indicate that Mike Ilitch wrote two checks totaling $4,600 ($2,600 each) to Friends of Carl Levin.

Ilitch is the founder of Little Caesar's Pizza and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers.

Ilitch's wife Marian, owner of Detroit's MotorCity Casino, and his son Christopher Ilitch, CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., also wrote two $2,600 checks each to the Levin political committee on 3/30/07.

In all, the Ilitch Family contributed $13,800 to Levin on 3/30. With the help of their friends and business associates (people like Michael J. Malik Sr., James Acheson, Richard Alcalde, Douglas Austin, Matt Cullen, Lance Boldrey, Joseph Ehrlich, Sarah Feliz, Mary Fletcher, Larry Hudas, Samuel Lionel, Timothy Stoepker, Victor Ventimiglia Jr., R. Thomas Vigliotti, Alan Wheat and others), the Ilitch Family helped Senator Levin raise nearly $97,000 that day.

So why did Senator Levin refuse to accept Mike Ilitch's contributions? Or did Mike Ilitch ask for his money back?

Additional records filed with the FEC indicate that on March 31, 2007, Friends of Carl Levin returned Mike Ilitch's two $2,600 contributions but not the checks from Marian Ilitch nor Christopher Ilitch.

These are the folks said to be driving a turn around for Detroit

excerpted from a story published 6.21.07 in the Detroit Free Press:

THE PLAYERS: Groups, people helping downtown rebound

Dozens of groups and thousands of people are playing roles in revitalizing Detroit. Here are some major players: ...

...General Motors: Since it bought the Renaissance Center for its new world headquarters, GM has played a major role in spurring redevelopment of the city's riverfront. Matt Cullen, GM's head of economic development, cochairs [with Derrick Miller] the Riverfront Conservancy, which oversees the new RiverWalk. Other private corporations playing big roles include Compuware and Ilitch Holdings. [Cullen's wife Karen Cullen is VP of corporate communications at Ilitch Holdings, Inc.],

...Detroit Riverfront Conservancy: Created in 2002, the conservancy runs the $250-million effort to build, operate and maintain the RiverWalk. Now about half complete, the RiverWalk one day should encompass the entire 5.5-mile length of the riverfront from the Ambassador Bridge to Gabriel Richard Park near the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle. Faye Alexander Nelson, a former Wayne State University official, serves as the conservancy's president and CEO...

...Ilitch Holdings: Now headed by President and CEO Christopher Ilitch, son of founders Mike and Marian Ilitch, this pizza and entertainment conglomerate owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, the Fox Theatre, Hockeytown Café, Motor City Casino and lots of vacant real estate on the northern edge of downtown [Foxtown] that may or may not one day become home to a new hockey arena. ... (Complete Story)

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070621/NEWS01/706210369&template=printart

Missing from this story are the names of those who manuever behind the scenes (attempting to stay "under the radar") on behalf of the entities and individuals highlighted; people like Michael J. Malik, R. Thomas Vigliotti, Timothy A. Stoepker, Herb Strather and others who recognize and are pros at exploiting leverage. These people are often at the heart of "brokering" deals, and "facilitating" process in a highly charged political environment.

Harsens Island developer has a history of fighting environmental concerns

Real Estate Attorney/Developer Timothy Stoepker is tied to several high profile Detroit area environmental appeals that have raised questions about jurisdiction; appeals that have been denied by a regional office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In the Carabell matter he argued an appeal in front of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Court instructed a lower court to revisit the matter. Perhaps this is why Malik has brought Stoepker into his latest Harsens Isand development scheme.

In the Harsens Island case it seems Malik is already trying to block compliance under the Federal Rivers & Harbors Act and likely also the Clean Water Act even though his plans require drilling a waste water sewage pipeline along the bottom of the St. Clair River.

District	Appellant	Processing #	Type of Appeal	Date Completed	Decision
Detroit	Lucky 7 Development LLC	91-012- 048-4	Jurisdictional Determination	12/01/06	No Merit
Detroit	Carabell	99-250- 002-1	Permit Denial	3/5/01	No Merit

Also see:
-- "Supreme Court ruling creates problems in protecting water quality" (Audobon Society)
-- "Clean Water Act reach limited: U.S. Supreme Court overview" (Bloomberg News)
-- "Top court split over wetlands protections" (Forbes)
-- "Clean Water Act needs redefinition, justices rule" (International Herald-Tribune)
-- " Court upholds judgment against NYC for polluting trout stream" (Newsday)
-- "Dickinson Wright attorney Tim Stoepker argues wetlands case before U.S. Supreme Court"
-- "Pennsylvania, coalition of states challenge federal mercury rule"

U.S. Attorney's inquiry leads to revelation Lucky 7 Development plans to drill sewer pipeline across St. Clair River

Army Corps of Engineers investigation (prompted by U.S. Attorney's Office) uncovered plans for 350 Condos @ Harsens Island (MI) include drilling sewer pipeline across bed of St. Clair River's North Channel to connect project to sewer treatment facility. Developers Mike Malik & Tim Stoepker denied attempt to appeal Rivers & Harbors Act jurisdiction ruling


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U.S. Supreme Court Decision Fails to Clarify Clean Water Act

U.S. Supreme Court ruled there are limits to the federal government’s authority to regulate wetlands under the Clean Water Act, but failed to agree on the confines of that power. The Carabell case was argued by Dickinson Wright attorney Timothy A. Stoepker of Grosse Pointe



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Harsens Island developer is actually a lawyer with ties to environmentally challenged corporate interests & the Ilitch Family

Michael Malik’s Harsens Island development partner is actually a lawyer with ties to environmentally challenged, and often controversial, corporate interests and Malik's casino syndication partners the Ilitch Family.
Tim Stoepker, the spokesman for so-called Grande Pointe Development, the group fronting development plans for Harsens Island on property owned by Michael J. Malik (Lucky 7 Development LLC), is actually an attorney with one of Detroit’s venerable law firms, Dickinson Wright PLLC. Among other things Tim Stoepker has represented the Ilitch Family’s Little Caesars Enterprises and the firm has represented other Ilitch Family interests and partners including Detroit Entertainment LLC (dba MotorCity Casino), MGM Mirage, Mandalay Resort Group. Recently the firm hired another attorney tied to Ilitch casino projects in Barstow, CA and elsewhere.

Stoepker’s official firm bio notes he’s experienced in the following areas:

• Real Estate Development and Litigation
• Woodlands, Wetlands, Land Use, and Zoning
• Condemnations
• Drafting of Construction Contracts
• Litigation and Arbitration of Construction Disputes
• Counsel to Waterfront and Casino Reclamation District
• Counsel to developers of private waste water plants
• Counsel for Lafarge Midwest, Inc. in relocation, development and construction of a Detroit Terminal for cement distribution
• Counsel for residential, commercial, and industrial developers in rezoning, site plan, special land use, variances, wetland/woodland and infrastructure permits and approvals

Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer is chairman of Dickinson Wright PLLC. The firm employs approximately 200 attorneys in offices throughout Michigan and in Washington D.C. According to the firm's website, Fortune Magazine is set to name Dickinson Wright one of the top “Go-To” firms in the U.S. based on a recent survey of general counsels at the top 500 U.S. companies.