City: Revisit Tiger Stadium plans

Council wants all rejected proposals reviewed before clearing mayor's plan to raze ballpark.

David Josar / The Detroit News

DETROIT -- The City Council cranked up the heat on the Kilpatrick administration over the future of Tiger Stadium on Monday when its members asked for a complete accounting of every redevelopment proposal Detroit has received for the vacant structure -- and why they were rejected.

"Let's once and for all get this answered," Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said.

Council President Kenneth V. Cockrel made the request after his office received two proposals for the vacant ballpark last week, following the city planning commission's rejection of the Tiger Stadium Redevelopment Project that has been touted by the mayor.

One of the new proposals included a plan by greeting card manufacturer Avanti Press Inc. to move its headquarters from downtown Detroit to the renovated ballpark site and expand its payroll by 75 workers there.

The Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the quasi-government agency that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is using to pursue his vision for the corner of Michigan and Trumbull, is pushing the council to sign off on its plan, which includes razing most of the ballpark by the end of the year and then finding a developer to build condos and stores.

Detroit Economic Growth officials have repeatedly said they have received no credible offers from backers with a track record and financing to redevelop that site, and that the way to get the best proposals would be to raze the stadium and then seek projects.

Matt Allen, the mayor's spokesman, said the best developers want to jump on projects they can start immediately -- not projects that need to be cleared.

The Tigers played their last game at the stadium in 1999 before moving to Comerica Park.

The Detroit Economic Growth plan also gives the nonprofit Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy until the end of the year to secure financing that would preserve part of the stadium, which would be used for recreational baseball games.

Cockrel said he wants a report that will include the names of the people who made proposals, and how much it would have cost.

"I have some questions in my mind," he said.

His move was welcome news to those who want all options considered before the stadium is torn down.

"It shows council is listening and is going to carefully consider what is going to happen," said Louis Beer, chairman of the Navin Field Consortium, which has been touting a plan to preserve part of Tiger Stadium for minor league baseball.

The City Council could vote on the fate of Tiger Stadium as early as Wednesday.

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