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October 05, 2010
Ilitch opens 30-day window to buy Pistons, arena
And away we go: Crain's Detroit is reporting that Detroit Pistons owner Karen Davidson has opened negotiations to sell the team to Detroit Red Wings and Tigers owner Mike Ilitch. The Detroit Free Press says the two sides have agreed to an exclusive 30-day bargaining period, after which the sale could be reopened to other bidders.
Assuming the two sides work out a deal — and that's not at all certain, as Crain's previously estimated there's about a $100 million gap between what Davidson wants and what she's likely to be offered — then it will almost certainly launch a long battle over whether to build a new downtown arena for the Red Wings and Pistons, and who'd pay for it. Already, Detroit city council president Charles Pugh declared his town open for subsidy business:
Asked whether a tax incentive would be included in a pitch to bring the Pistons downtown, Council President Charles Pugh said, "I am open to whatever we have to do in the scope of the law.
"This could be the tipping point for our city. We need hope."
On the other hand, council president pro tem Gary Brown said, "It's going to be difficult to do this stadium with public dollars. There is no appetite for tax relief, even for this." Still, it's probably best not to put anything past Ilitch, given that this is the kind of fight he's won before.
"This could be the tipping point for our city. We need hope."
- Charles Pugh
So I guess he assumes car manufacturing is down and layoffs are prominent because of the lack of a 1st class sports arena?
Posted by Andrew T on October 5, 2010 10:10 PM
Oh, yes, this could be the tipping point...it's maybe the fifteenth time in the last decade or so that an outflow of public money could be the tipping point, and yet nothing seems to have tipped. Next time, maybe.
Posted by Alex Bensky on October 7, 2010 08:55 PM
Oh, yes Brown's comment is worthy of further discussion. As pastor of two churhes in Detroit and seeing the city up close driving from Eastside to Westside. The drive enables me to see the great needs of Detroit's neighborhoods.
As the people of this GREAT city are starving and in need of relief, it seems the time is now to consider the citizens. How will this New Arena and tax relief beneifit citizens of Detroit when indeed there is no appetite for tax relief?
The city needs peace, and healing and not yet another stripe across their back as if they deserve it, and to pay taxes for enterainment they cannot most likely afford.Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lamat stated "The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being." My prayer is development of love and concern from Ilitch, and from citizens who both will ultimately live with the decision.
The tomb is empty,
Dean W.
Posted by Dean W on October 21, 2010 03:22 PM