George Jackson Continues to Interfere with Redevelopment of Tiger Stadium Site

**1953** · June-12-13, 09:27 AM

Once again, George Jackson has blocked plans to redevelop the old Tiger Stadium site into a youth baseball facility - this time, an academy backed by MLB. He called it a scam because MLB would only put up some of the money, with the rest being raised locally [[wait, doesn't this happen all the time with projects?). Read about it locally [[the News and Freep had it yesterday) or nationally:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/06/11/mlb-youth-academy-old-tiger-stadium-site-detroit/2410633/

Hey, hey, ho, ho, its time for Georgie J. to get out and go...

1953

P.S. Maybe if this project involved demolition of historic buildings he could get behind it

**401don** · June-12-13, 09:36 AM

It does seem odd that MLB would approach the city without the Tigers' support on this type of project. Don't like to defend Jackson but he's definitely seen a lot of unfunded ideas for the site and then had to be the guy who shoots them down. That being said, he should have stated this is "very much in the preliminary stages" rather than calling it some sort of scam.

**preserve** · June-12-13, 09:42 AM

Why the need to build a school when there is a perfectly good bldg. sitting
right across the freeway??? I'm sure any repairs or updating would cost less than building and maybe they can still use the old Tiger Stadium site to play ball. I don't hold out any hope of it being developed in the near future, but I would also hate to see a school on that property. There are so many other good plans out there.

**DetroitUA** · June-12-13, 09:51 AM

Why does this man stand in the way of everything? Yes it's odd that Miller didn't go to the Tigers at first - but Jackson is wrong, the funding could definitely be there. "Jackson said the only funding that Miller had identified was a $3 million federal earmark for the property."

$3 Million earmark, and also don't forget about the $1.5M from Senator Levin, so that's $4.5M already. The projects cost between 4-6 Million. Sounds to me like it's a go, and a winner in my book.

Let's call it "Navin Field MLB Youth Camp"!

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...#ixzz2W0uYRKic

Here is what it might look like [[Let's hope they go for something a bit more historic looking for this site)

**tkelly1986** · June-12-13, 09:51 AM

George didn't have to come out and say it was a scam [[that could tick off both MLB and other potential investors in the city). MLB is clearly a blue chip developer and has a track record of building these in other cities. It's his attitude that pushes people away. The guy thinks he's a king maker and is known to be self serving [[his ego). There have been rumors that George was even ticked off about Gilbert's development because he thought the DECG should be running the show and all development should go through him. He has really overstayed his welcome.

**401don** · June-12-13, 10:06 AM

Originally Posted by preserve

Why the need to build a school when there is a perfectly good bldg. sitting
right across the freeway??? I'm sure any repairs or updating would cost less than building and maybe they can still use the old Tiger Stadium site to play ball. I don't hold out any hope of it being developed in the near future, but I would also hate to see a school on that property. There are so many other good plans out there.

Not sure where you're getting the idea of a school. The indoor facilities for the baseball academy would consist of batting cages, pitching facilities, etc. and maybe a meeting room.

**drjeff** · June-12-13, 10:10 AM

Why is this asshole still in a position of power?

**poobert** · June-12-13, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by drjeff

Why is this asshole still in a position of power?

No matter how you feel about him, I think this is a legitimate question.

Why is someone who holds power over [[hostage) public lands, given an unelected lifetime position?

Where is the accountability here? That is to say nothing about results.

This guy has been tooling around since 2002 with few accomplishments to speak of. You can point to the Superbowl and the Book Cadillac, but what, of anything in the past 5 years?

Regardless of how you feel about the MLB Proposal, the Tiger Stadium site has not had a tenant for 14 years. That's abject failure, no matter how you try to spin it. It's also a stone's throw from downtown in a rapidly reviving commercial strip. He isn't doing his job.

Now, regarding the MLB proposal, I've never known anyone in the professional world, first of all, to use such crass language in a public statement. He's not going to win us any friends that way. Secondly, in a city with shuttered rec centers and kids wandering the streets causing trouble, nothing seems better than baseball for young folks on a historic baseball site.

George Jackson wouldn't know. He lives in Southfield. He's fine with messing up Detroit and collecting a fat paycheck for it but it isn't good enough for him to live here. Thanks, in no small part, to his "efforts"

I can really tell you why he's still around, though: the Detroit power elite are like members of a country club [[a really shitty country club). I've seen their meetings, I've attending their meetings. DEGC is a joke. It's a bunch of mutual masturbation. Familiar Detroit faces pull up, get their cars valeted, have brunch, show Powerpoints about nothing, and slap each others' asses about how great they are. They're our self-perpetuating, delusional, incestuous aristocracy. George Jackson is our Louis XVI.

**iheartthed** · June-12-13, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

It does seem odd that MLB would approach the city without the Tigers' support on this type of project. Don't like to defend Jackson but he's definitely seen a lot of unfunded ideas for the site and then had to be the guy who shoots them down. That being said, he should have stated this is "very much in the preliminary stages" rather than calling it some sort of scam.

I'm sure he has seen plenty of unfunded ideas too. But this ain't a wannabe real estate magnate we're talking about here. This is the MLB who has 1) money of its own, 2) plenty of friends with deep pockets, and 3) built the same thing in several cities already. Even if Jackson is skeptical of the idea... it is curious that he'd use the word "scam." Especially when he's shot down just about every idea for this site -- which has sat empty for nearly 15 years -- that has ever been publicized.

**EastsideAl** · June-12-13, 11:42 AM

"Scam" = project not directly benefiting any of George Jackson's friends in the city's power elite [[so perfectly captured by Poobert above) or the "friends" of those friends.

**1953** · June-12-13, 12:19 PM

I hate to say it, but this thread took just the direction I was hoping it would take. Now, how do we go about getting this guy removed from his position?

1953

**Detroitnerd** · June-12-13, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by 1953

I hate to say it, but this thread took just the direction I was hoping it would take. Now, how do we go about getting this guy removed from his position?

1953

This isn't the first time it's been discussed in earnest.

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...ther-interests

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · June-12-13, 01:02 PM

It's just totally inappropriate and unprofessional to call a proposal from MLB a "scam". About 99% of the projects in Detroit don't have all the funding committed from the start.

**detmsp** · June-12-13, 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

It's just totally inappropriate and unprofessional to call a proposal from MLB a "scam". About 99% of the projects in Detroit don't have all the funding committed from the start.

He probably shouldn't have called it a scam... but it does seem like a terrible deal. Why should the tax payers give up this land AND have the privilege of paying a significant amount of the cost to build the facility? I know we do it for pro sports stadiums, but at least then the city/county/state benefit from tax revenue [[the academy is free) and spin off development [[this place is for kids who have no buying power, so don't expect spin off development).

**stromberg2** · June-12-13, 01:35 PM

Let me get this straight....MLB are scammers, MLB has no money? Scammers....that's a first for a 100 year old organization. Jackson is a ......, oh no, whitey is coming in to take our jewels.

**ghettopalmetto** · June-12-13, 01:45 PM

Funny. There was plenty of cash for demolition of the stadium after Mike Ilitch abdicated it, but not money to build something useful for the community.

How did Detroit get to be George Jackson's personal SimCity?

**iheartthed** · June-12-13, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

He probably shouldn't have called it a scam... but it does seem like a terrible deal. Why should the tax payers give up this land AND have the privilege of paying a significant amount of the cost to build the facility? I know we do it for pro sports stadiums, but at least then the city/county/state benefit from tax revenue [[the academy is free) and spin off development [[this place is for kids who have no buying power, so don't expect spin off development).

Yeah, why build schools then, huh?

**rb336** · June-12-13, 01:58 PM

Why can't they get rid of that brain-dead, self-serving, obstructionist jackass???

**detmsp** · June-12-13, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Yeah, why build schools then, huh?

That's not the same and you know it. It's one thing for the government to build and operate something [[like a school) for the public, but it's another for the government to build something for multi-billion dollar corporation.

**1953** · June-12-13, 02:58 PM

Isn't the school-lobby a multi-billion dollar corporation?

**iheartthed** · June-12-13, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by detmsp

That's not the same and you know it. It's one thing for the government to build and operate something [[like a school) for the public, but it's another for the government to build something for multi-billion dollar corporation.

So if they wanted to build a stadium to run their private, profit making business then that's okay. But since they want to open a non-profit recreational facility for kids it's... bad to use taxpayer money?

**Detroitnerd** · June-12-13, 03:53 PM

We all know what's going on here, right? Our local pizza Croesus has decreed that the former site of Tiger Stadium must never be used for baseball, baseball education, or anything else that might pose a threat to his personal baseball empire downtown. I'm surprised he hasn't sent crews to salt the earth so that nothing may grow again.

Bumbling along as the figurehead of DEGC though he is, George is just following orders, you can be sure.

**finster** · June-12-13, 05:37 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

We all know what's going on here, right? Our local pizza Croesus has decreed that the former site of Tiger Stadium must never be used for baseball, baseball education, or anything else that might pose a threat to his personal baseball empire downtown. I'm surprised he hasn't sent crews to salt the earth so that nothing may grow again.

Bumbling along as the figurehead of DEGC though he is, George is just following orders, you can be sure.

You are right that Ilitch really did not want Tiger Stadium to be refurbished and take some of the "shine" off of Comerica. He might be amenable to this project though as major league baseball is very interested in getting Black youth interested in the sport again as they have a serious image problem with most of their players coming from the Dominican Republic or bred from expensive mostly White baseball "academy" type leagues. In a majority Black city this seems like a win-win all the way around and you can bet the ill chosen "scam" reference is making the rounds in a lot of circles with people who already have a negative view of Detroit.

**poobert** · June-13-13, 09:02 AM

So maybe DEGC isn't the biggest fan of accountability and transparency. Still, the poor peasants that we are, can file our petition for redress as it were, to the shadowy powers that be behind the online form.

http://www.degc.org/contact-us.aspx

Tell them the reign of terror of King George has to end. You may get your house bulldozed but whatever.

**TexasT** · June-13-13, 09:56 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

So maybe DEGC isn't the biggest fan of accountability and transparency. Still, the poor peasants that we are, can file our petition for redress as it were, to the shadowy powers that be behind the online form.

http://www.degc.org/contact-us.aspx

Tell them the reign of terror of King George has to end. You may get your house bulldozed but whatever.

Message sent. Probably won't help but can't hurt, right?