In some business circles, there’s a term called “painting the vision.” That means if you want something to happen, you illustrate your plan to then, through force of will and power, make it a reality.
That’s what Dan Gilbert, Tom Gores, the architects from Rosetti (who are also working on the Red Wings arena) and Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber did today.
Released publicly on the Opportunity Detroit Facebook page were four admittedly beautiful renderings of a stadium on the stalled new Wayne County Jail site. The stadium would be multi-purpose and could be used for other kinds of events as well.
The site choice for the jail has been controversial from the start, with longtime sports journalist/pundit/etc Terry Foster calling Wayne County officials “idiots” as early as this morning.
A total of $151 million was spent before the project was halted over no-bid contracts, lack of supervision and undisclosed cost overruns of $41 million, and more. The county now spends about $1.2 million a month to maintain the site.
But also, Wayne County – both commissioners and the executive – seem steadfast in their insistence that the jail will be completed on that site.
For his part, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans told CBS Detroit:
“What was economically feasible for Wayne County has been very clearly finishing on the jail site,” Evans said. “Not because it’s the best place, not because anybody’s hearts in it — but because it’s the only feasible option that Wayne County has for the cheapest amount of money to the taxpayers.”
“If that scenario changes, then we change with the scenario,” he added.
So basically, it comes down to what’s the price and if a deal with Gores and Gilbert comes with enough money to bail out the jail.
What do you think of Gilbert’s vision for the often-referred to as “fail jail” site?
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Can’t get enough stadium talk? Here’s where Crain’s thinks the new stadium will actually go, and here’s our guess. Who knows if any of us are right – but it sure is fun to speculate.