LEGISLATIVE REPORT

 

STATE FAIRGROUNDS

 

For years the State Fair and the State Fairgrounds brought joy and economic opportunity to our great city.  Unfortunately, former Governor Jennifer Granholm decided to close the property and eliminate our State Fair.  State Representative Jimmy Womack and I were strongly opposed to this move and fought hard to keep the property open and keep the State Fair in Detroit.

 

Unfortunately, we are now stuck with another abandoned property that has a lot of potential but is slowly falling apart and becoming an eyesore and potential danger. 

 

Therefore, we are working with the current administration and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to prepare the property for development.  We believe that the property is suitable for multi-use purposes (housing, retail, and offices), and I introduced SB 515, which will move the property from the Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) to the State Land Bank.  The Land Bank will be able to quickly clean the property and prepare a request for proposal (RFP) for development of the property.

 

There are safeguards Representative Womack and I have added to the bill to protect our neighborhoods.  First, the property cannot be used for a casino, race track, racino, military base, or prison; and we are creating an advisory committee made up of neighborhood leaders to supervise the development of the project.  I hope this project returns jobs and economic development to this historic corner of Detroit.