WTH? Riverside Park to be closed off again?

[Scottathew]

Your source must not be the story linked above or they would have told you this:

According to an agreement between the city of Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge Company, all 1,050 windows of the depot will be replaced by December 31, 2015.

With Moroun you have to see before you can believe. Sometimes he doesn't honor agreements, has to be sued, and then thrown in jail.

[Dbest]

With Moroun you have to see before you can believe. Sometimes he doesn't honor agreements, has to be sued, and then thrown in jail.

Shut up, Moroun the man! haha

[Wesley Mouch]

Never underestimate Matty.

[Vic01]

Never underestimate Matty.

and his ability to buy politicians.

[Wesley Mouch]

and his ability to buy politicians.

...without regard for borders.

[Vic01]

Call me a cynic... I still say that we'll soon see that there is now an "understanding" that Duggan will help stall/roadblock the progress of the downriver bridge project... Blocking or delaying land acquisitions... That Matty bought another ally to help delay progress on his "competition" getting a bridge built.

We've seen years of delay tactics and buying politicians, for Matty a few million more is chump change to increase any chance of his remaining the only bridge... Any obstruction is worth a few million, within the year we'll see Duggan speaking out publicly against the downriver bridge and saying that Matty is a great partner to progress in Detroit. Bought and paid for... and political BS.

Spotted this new article today-

"If the Moroun family builds a second Ambassador Bridge, the Detroit City Council wants to make sure the city has a chance to generate revenue from its traffic"....

"If and when a bridge is constructed, the city needs to be able to participate in the upside," Councilman Scott Benson said in an interview. To that end, Benson proposed a mechanism to capture property taxes associated with a second Ambassador Bridge. The money would be used to offset air pollution, increased truck traffic and other negative impacts of a new bridge. The mechanism wouldn't necessarily raise more money, but it would direct the property taxes to specific uses rather than going into the city's general fund, Benson said.

The council's planning and economic development committee also wants to set up a work group with the Bridge Company to figure out other ways the city could make money off another bridge. Benson said his idea for the city to get $1 off tolls paid by each car crossing the new bridge was rejected.

The council is expected to attach an addendum that incorporates Benson's property tax capture and the work group to study a second span to the land swap deal Mayor Mike Duggan proposed in April".

"Councilwoman Raquel Castaneda-Lopez, whose district includes the Ambassador Bridge, has a much longer list of proposed changes she wants made to the land swap deal.

Rather than transfer a piece of Riverside Park to the Bridge Company, Castaneda-Lopez suggests the city grant an easement for 100 years, with the city collecting 10% of revenue generated from a second Ambassador Bridge. She also wants the city to become part owner of a second bridge, similar to the public-private partnership that manages the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Furthermore, she wants the Bridge Company to enter into a legally binding community benefits agreement that includes requirements for training and hiring Detroiters, environmental mitigation and community investment.

Castaneda-Lopez said now is the time for the council to negotiate benefits from a second Ambassador Bridge".

"For now, it appears Duggan's office is leaving it to the City Council to prepare the city for a potential second Ambassador Bridge".

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2015/07/11/council-bridge-money/29980419/


Folks keep saying that the second span will never be built with Canada supporting only the proposed downriver bridge which is already in the works. Canada has said they will not allow a second span for Matty's bridge. Well, it looks like Matty is both rich enough, and slick enough, to find local politicians willing to say "kick enough $$$ my way and I'll support anything you say".
Common sense makes it clear that if the City becomes "part owner", "getting 10%", or part of the toll for each car crossing Matty's bridge, the City will have a vested interest in delaying/blocking the already approved crossing two miles further downriver. The mayor and city council will then start generating as many obstructions as possible to progress downriver, while talking up what a great thing for the city Matty's second span would be...
In the meantime Matty will be buying higher ranking politicians to stall/block, and generate more public favor and eventually make a way for our government to pressure Canada to let him have his bridge.

[Honky Tonk]

The council's planning and economic development committee also wants to set up a work group with the Bridge Company to figure out other ways the city could make money off another bridge. Benson said his idea for the city to get $1 off tolls paid by each car crossing the new bridge was rejected.

I wonder if Benson and the City Council realize the majority of traffic accross the Ambassador is commerce. Those trucks pay $100 toll, each way. A buck seems a bit light. Also, if you're going to partner, you assume some liabilities. I hope they have good attorneys to look things over before they sign on the dotted line.