A Canadian development firm is among five bidders proposing a new use for Wayne County's criminal justice complex on the eastern edge of downtown's business district.
Dustin Walsh of Crain's sketches the newest vision submitted:
Owners of the Pontiac Silverdome have submitted a bid for the Wayne County justice department sites in hopes of opening a stadium for a Detroit Major League Soccer team, along with a mall, residential space and office towers.
Triple Properties Inc. is seeking to acquire the five current justice properties, including the half-built jail site, plus the former Detroit Police Department headquarters at 1300 Beaubien St., said Steve Apostolopoulos, co-founder and managing director. . . .
Apostolopoulos said his firm has been in discussions with MLS about starting a professional soccer team in Detroit since acquiring the Silverdome in 2009, but the league had reservations about a team in Pontiac.
He believes a downtown site could bring pro soccer to Detroit as the league continues to expand, reports Walsh, who quotes the Toronto executive as saying:" Ideally, they want to be downtown."
The Crain's coverage notes that competing bidders include Dan Gilbert's Rock Ventures, which proposes a $500-million development with retail, residential and office space. That firm would seek public funding in addition to its own investment, Walsh writes, while the Canadian developer said its project wouldn't involve a public share.
