July 13, 2007

Planning commission balks at razing Tiger Stadium

Tiger Stadium, which seems like it's already had nine lives, may have just won one more. Three days after the Detroit city council said it'd hold off on a decision on the fate of Tiger Stadium until the city planning commission issued its recommendations, the planning commission met yesterday - and voted 5-1 (with two abstentions) not to recommend the city's demolition plan for the 95-year-old ballpark. "If you can save the Book-Cadillac building," asked commissioner Marilyn White, referring to a downtown Detroit landmark currently being renovated after two decades of delays, "how do you know you can't reuse [Tiger Stadium]?"

Does this mean the possibility of preserving at least part of the ballpark will get a second look? The Free Press calls the commission's advisory vote a "bump" and a "setback" for the Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's demolition plans, while the Detroit News says it's a "snag" and that the city's plans are "starting to unravel" (which seem like contradictory metaphors, but never mind). The city council meets again on Monday to take up the demolition proposal; given that councilmembers put off a vote last week to give time to hear the planning commission's recommendations, they'd look pretty dumb voting to approve the plan now over its objections, but you never know.