George Jackson Continues to Interfere with Redevelopment of Tiger Stadium Site

[1953]

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]

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.

[iheartthed]

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.

[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.

[401don]

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.

[DetroitUA]

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]

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.

[Zug]

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.

This struck me because I was recently thinking about what the DEGC thought about Gilbert's plans. I know the announcements typically seem to include them, but it does feel like Gilbert is being looked at as the man behind revitalizing downtown when for years the DEGC used that as their identity.

On the plan...I have mixed feelings. I would prefer this idea to a Walmart. However, I myself found it odd that the MLB cannot fund this idea on their own. Seriously...the MLB cannot afford $5-6 million for an academy to be built? Granted, they may be taking on the long term costs of paying instructors & upkeep [[I don't know). But honestly, I would like to see something on a grander scale at the site considering it's taking this long to develop. It's a lot of land in a community that's making a few strides for the better. Perhaps something that blends housing and retail would be a better fit.

I once had a pipe dream that an MLS soccer stadium would be built there, but I woke up :P

[Honky Tonk]

This struck me because I was recently thinking about what the DEGC thought about Gilbert's plans. I know the announcements typically seem to include them, but it does feel like Gilbert is being looked at as the man behind revitalizing downtown when for years the DEGC used that as their identity.

On the plan...I have mixed feelings. I would prefer this idea to a Walmart. However, I myself found it odd that the MLB cannot fund this idea on their own. Seriously...the MLB cannot afford $5-6 million for an academy to be built? Granted, they may be taking on the long term costs of paying instructors & upkeep [[I don't know). But honestly, I would like to see something on a grander scale at the site considering it's taking this long to develop. It's a lot of land in a community that's making a few strides for the better. Perhaps something that blends housing and retail would be a better fit.

I once had a pipe dream that an MLS soccer stadium would be built there, but I woke up :P

Maybe a gun range or a pit bull training area?

[Spartan]

This struck me because I was recently thinking about what the DEGC thought about Gilbert's plans. I know the announcements typically seem to include them, but it does feel like Gilbert is being looked at as the man behind revitalizing downtown when for years the DEGC used that as their identity.

On the plan...I have mixed feelings. I would prefer this idea to a Walmart. However, I myself found it odd that the MLB cannot fund this idea on their own. Seriously...the MLB cannot afford $5-6 million for an academy to be built? Granted, they may be taking on the long term costs of paying instructors & upkeep [[I don't know). But honestly, I would like to see something on a grander scale at the site considering it's taking this long to develop. It's a lot of land in a community that's making a few strides for the better. Perhaps something that blends housing and retail would be a better fit.

I once had a pipe dream that an MLS soccer stadium would be built there, but I woke up :P

I don't think it's that MLB can't afford to fund it, I just don't think they want to. They're not going to be the only ones benefiting from it and as a result are interested in sharing the cost with others who will as well.

Now an MLS stadium would be awesome.

[JBMcB]

Economic development corporations should be abolished. It combines the worst aspects of corporatism with government-backed cronyism.

Go check out how badly the Los Angeles development corporation screwed over that city. It actually ruined a few perfectly decent neighborhoods - turning old, but occupied, houses and businesses into urban prairie.

[rb336]

Economic development corporations should be abolished. It combines the worst aspects of corporatism with government-backed cronyism.

Go check out how badly the Los Angeles development corporation screwed over that city. It actually ruined a few perfectly decent neighborhoods - turning old, but occupied, houses and businesses into urban prairie.

i think it would be "urban desert" in LA

[motz]

Economic development corporations should be abolished. It combines the worst aspects of corporatism with government-backed cronyism.

Go check out how badly the Los Angeles development corporation screwed over that city. It actually ruined a few perfectly decent neighborhoods - turning old, but occupied, houses and businesses into urban prairie.

Link an article about that?

[michimoby]

I don't think it's that MLB can't afford to fund it, I just don't think they want to. They're not going to be the only ones benefiting from it and as a result are interested in sharing the cost with others who will as well.

Now an MLS stadium would be awesome.

or a DCFC stadium...

[drjeff]

Why is this asshole still in a position of power?

[poobert]

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.

[EastsideAl]

"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]

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]

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]

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]

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).

[iheartthed]

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?

[detmsp]

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.

[iheartthed]

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?

[stromberg2]

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.