by
Dan Gilbert at press conference (Bedrock photo)
Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert deserves kudos for his key role in helping resurrect downtown Detroit. He began snapping up buildings not that long ago when it didn’t seem to make much sense. He’s savvy. He’s made downtown more vibrant. He’s made it safer. I live in the city and see the difference every day.
But his latest proposal, along with Pistons owner Tom Gores, to build a major league soccer stadium on the site of the bungled, unfinished Wayne County Jail on Gratiot Avenue near Greektown, somehow doesn’t feel right. At least not yet.
“The real question though for the county and the community and the people of Detroit is, you know, do we want a jail at the foot of downtown and the front door?” Gilbert said at a press conference. “Or do we want a major development that’s gonna create economic, great economics for job creation, for, you know, tax roll creation and for overall optimism as you move through the city?”
In other words, don’t be stupid Detroit and Wayne County. We need more development, not jails and courts in the core of the city. Now, hand over the property, and do so without hesitation, and for a price I like, or you’ll bungle the opportunity of a lifetime and look, as Donald Trump would say, very stupid.
Gilbert held a press conference with Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, who talked about what a great opportunity he saw in bringing a team to Detroit, particularly at the Gratiot site. (A promotional video is below.)
Gilbert says he had no Plan B. Hard to believe.
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans says at this point he plans to move forward and complete construction of the 2,000-bed jail, which will probably cost about another $175 million. So far, $150 million has been spent.
Evans says he’s not going to sell the property for an insufficient amount and move the jail elsewhere, perhaps Mound Road on the city’s east side, if it means it will cost Wayne County taxpayers more money than it already has. For the right price, perhaps he might budge.
So, if in fact, Gilbert is being sincere when he says this is the only spot he would consider, it would seem the county is in a good bargaining position to get what it wants. It shouldn't bow to Gilbert's tactics. After all, the county, which is trying to dig its way out of a big financial mess, needs the money and can't afford to be foolish and give things away.
Besides the taxpayer issue, Gilbert ignores the fact major cities around the country have courts and jails centrally located downtown for good reason. For one, it allows less financially fortunate folks to catch a bus to get to court and visit family and friends in jail. Downtown has a major bus terminal which makes it all the easier.
Additionally, jails ideally should be close to courthouses. Sheriff’s deputies shuttle inmates all day from court to jail and back. The further the jail, the more delays in court, which slows down the already very busy system. It ultimately ends up costing taxpayers more money. So if the jail moved, eventually it would only make sense to have to build a new courthouse nearby.
Gilbert has been eyeing that jail property for quite a while, ever since the project was halted in 2013 because of serious cost overruns. It happens to be in close proximity to the Greektown Casino, which he owns. He’s a smart businessman who understands development.
But it’s hard to believe that a businessman as savvy as Dan Gilbert has no Plan B. He's smarter than that.
Detroit and Wayne County owes Gilbert a lot.
But in this case, it doesn’t automatically owe him a quick, easy Yes, without a lot more thought going into this.
Here's a one-minute video from Rosetti Associates of the proposed design, released Wednesday:
