July 29, 2008
Tiger Stadium gets reprieve, new threat
Good news and bad news for Tiger Stadium, or what's left of it after demolition crews finished tearing down the left-field grandstand this week.
The good: The city council's planning and economic development committee rescinded its earlier approval for demolition of the entire park, after Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell testified that his Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy had succeeded in raising the $400,000 demanded by Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick by August 1 to stop the wrecking ball from taking down the home-plate section of the ballpark, which the conservancy hopes to save.
The bad: A spokesperson for Mayor Kilpatrick responded that he was setting a new deadline of October 1 for the Conservancy to come up with "$15 million cash money," or the entire ballpark will be razed. "Federal earmarks won't work. Foundation promises won't work," said mayoral spokesperson James Canning. "They need $15 million cash money, on hand, in the bank."
The conservancy's financial plan relies on promises of $9.5 million in federal earmarks and tax credits, so it's unclear how they'll respond to this latest mayoral demand. (Or whether the council will go along with Kilpatrick moving the goalposts.) And if they do come up with the "cash money," you have to wonder what the mayor will ask for next.
—Neil deMause
the knights of "ni!" is a good analogy, the goal line will keep getting moved so that the ultimate goal is achieved - total demolition.
Posted by Paul Wiederecht on July 29, 2008 05:20 PM