Wayne County Executive Warren Evans said the county will move forward and work with Dan Gilbert and his company, Rock Ventures, for their plan at the unfinished Wayne County Jail site in downtown Detroit.
The Rock Ventures proposal would build a soccer stadium for a possible Major League Soccer team at the site of the unfinished jail, and move the new jail site to another location.
- Final proposals received for Wayne County jail project
- Dan Gilbert is a step closer to turning jail cells into an entertainment zone in downtown Detroit
- Rock Ventures submits proposal for new Wayne County Jail site
According to Evans, there were two proposals: The one from Gilbert and another from Walsh Construction to finish building the jail on Gratiot Ave. in downtown Detroit.
Evans does say that both proposals are still on the table.
"While both proposals remain options, I've directed my team to dedicate their time and resources toward attempting to reach a contract with Rock Ventures," he said in a release. "The Rock Ventures proposal has more upside, less risk and a smaller financial gap than Walsh Construction's proposal."
Evans added that there are still issues that have to be resolved with Rock Ventures, and he plans to work with them to negotiate terms of a new deal in the coming weeks.
The proposal would build the county a new criminal justice center with a jail, courthouse, prosecutor office, sheriff's office and juvenile detention center at the cost of $520.3 million.
Wayne County would be responsible for $380 million plus the cost of buy land from the city near I-75 and Warren Ave. Rock would also pay for all of the cost overruns.
Gilbert has teamed with Pistons owner Tom Gores to bring a MLS team to Detroit, but before the league would approve it, they have to have a stadium plan.
