Council attorneys urge caution on land exchange deal

[Vic01]

Citing a past history of “negative dealings,” the City Council’s legal team is urging the council to use caution as it delves into the terms of a complicated plan designed to give the billionaire owners of the Ambassador Bridge riverfront land in exchange for a rejuvenated city park.In a legal analysis released Monday, the council’s Legislative Policy Division provided an overview of the agreement between the Duggan administration and Detroit International Bridge Co., raising questions about enforceability and the risks of a potential long-term commitment to supporting the company’s quest to build a second bridge span.
The legal questions come months after the administration and bridge officials announced plans that would give the Moroun family-owned bridge company riverfront land in exchange for a revamped Riverside Park along Jefferson near West Grand Boulevard.


The deal has been criticized by some in the wake of the Moroun family’s history with the park and Michigan Central Depot, a building they own that’s languished for years and become a symbol of the city’s decline.
“[[The bridge company’s) history of negative dealings with the community in the area of the bridge is well known in the city,” the report said. “Commitments have been made by [[the bridge company) to the community on a variety of issues — with a continuing lack of follow-through.”

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...deal/29128907/

[Honky Tonk]

Just so I understand this, Matty Maroun commandeers a City owned park, effectively shutting off all access. The park sits and rots, and no one does anything about this. Now in comes Dug-in, gets in bed with Matty, and makes with the nice-nice. He GIVES Matty the land he wants, if Matty straightens out the park he screwed up in the first place. Am I understanding this correctly?

[Honky Tonk]

The old News property sits West of Riverside Park. IF Matty successfully constructs his 2nd span, you'll have a hole-in-the-wall park, wedged between 2 bridge spans, and surrounded by trucks, cars, and bridge crossing staging areas. Doesn't seem like it would be a very appealing place to spend an afternoon.

[Shai_Hulud]

The old News property sits West of Riverside Park. IF Matty successfully constructs his 2nd span, you'll have a hole-in-the-wall park, wedged between 2 bridge spans, and surrounded by trucks, cars, and bridge crossing staging areas. Doesn't seem like it would be a very appealing place to spend an afternoon.

The city is getting the warehouse, not Maroun. Matty is getty 3 acres directly adjacent to the existing bridge.

This link has a map.
http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...oroun-swap.php

So the city gets $5m cash, the park nets 8.2 acres, and Matty gets 3 acres for his bridge that will never happen. City council, takes up this issue to fight. Awesome

[Wesley Mouch]

...So the city gets $5m cash, the park nets 8.2 acres, and Matty gets 3 acres for his bridge that will never happen. City council, takes up this issue to fight. Awesome

Government should enable commerce and trade. If Matty wants to build a bridge, I don't see that government should stand in the way. Of course they shouldn't help him either. Just 'get out of the way'.

Will this bridge really never happen?

Right now, Matty has a cash cow. At some point, replacement is probably going to happen. Does anyone know how long the current bridge will last?

[Jason]

The current bridge should last forever except that Maroun hasn't been maintaining it properly [[although it can still last forever). Some speculate that the end game of his second span is to replace the Ambassador, not to duplicate it.

The enforcability part is a huge deal and it's this kind of stuff that makes me think everyone is so shady. The business announces these plans and commitments to get public support that allows the politicians to give the businesses whatever it is they wanted. But the politicians make sure that it's unenforcable, the business doesn't do what it promised, and then, to everyone's benefit [[except us) the issue quietly disappears. And then when there's pressure to put things in writing, the businesses refuse to do so, the politicians don't push it, and then things move on as normal.

[Wesley Mouch]

The current bridge should last forever except that Maroun hasn't been maintaining it properly [[although it can still last forever). Some speculate that the end game of his second span is to replace the Ambassador, not to duplicate it.

The enforcability part is a huge deal and it's this kind of stuff that makes me think everyone is so shady. The business announces these plans and commitments to get public support that allows the politicians to give the businesses whatever it is they wanted. But the politicians make sure that it's unenforcable, the business doesn't do what it promised, and then, to everyone's benefit [[except us) the issue quietly disappears. And then when there's pressure to put things in writing, the businesses refuse to do so, the politicians don't push it, and then things move on as normal.

Except for general metal fatigue over billions of reasonable uses, and deterioration of the main cables, I can't see why a bridge wouldn't last nearly forever, if maintained. Its the 'microaggressions' committed against the bridge by use that I don't know about. I'm sure that structural engineers do.

But of course the real reason for Matty's second span is to kill the public option. He wouldn't invest in a new bridge otherwise. Clearly the Ambassador is large enough to handle dozens of times its current traffic load. The current limitations on traffic are customs related -- not highway width.

[bailey]

Government should enable commerce and trade. If Matty wants to build a bridge, I don't see that government should stand in the way. Of course they shouldn't help him either. Just 'get out of the way'.

Will this bridge really never happen?

Right now, Matty has a cash cow. At some point, replacement is probably going to happen. Does anyone know how long the current bridge will last?

I think it's rather interesting that Maroun spent so much money and effort in campaigning against the DIBC by claiming it was redundant, there wasn't enough traffic to support two [[or three if you count Pt.Huron) and will put him out of business....but is now desperately trying to get a second span [[which would make three [[or 4 if you count pt huron) total spans) up.

Frankly, not sure why he's doing any of this as Windsor isn't going to let him complete it on that end.

[corktownyuppie]

I don't blame CC for asking for caution. I have not looked at the deal, but as long as we get what we want before Moroun gets what he wants, I'm game.

I'm not the only one...a couple heavy-hitting community leaders and social services leaders are going public with their support.

http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/c...roit/29203957/

[Scottathew]

Government should enable commerce and trade. If Matty wants to build a bridge, I don't see that government should stand in the way. Of course they shouldn't help him either. Just 'get out of the way'.

I totally disagree. Just because Matty is rich doesn't mean he should be able to wipe out neighborhoods at his choosing. He doesn't get to choose where we send even more international traffic.

Canada and the USA have a very good plan for a new bridge that will better enable commerce and provide end-to-end freeway connections, without destroying parts of downtown Windsor.

Matty has selected his location because it's convenient to him and he can just send the traffic through his existing facilities.

Matty is NOT a good public-private partner, as shown by his lack of compliance in the gateway project.

Let's let Matty run his precious bridge, but let's force him to either use his many properties properly, or they should be forfeited back to the government.

Either become the biggest landlord on Indian Road, or give the houses to Windsor and let the government sell them to families wanting homes.