(WWJ) Warren Mayor Jim Fouts is pushing apprehensive City Council members to quit stalling, and finally come to a vote on a plan for a downtown-style development project.
The big item on the agenda at Tuesday night's council meeting is the proposed “Warren Towne Center” — a muti-million dollar undertaking that would include a Marriott hotel, apartments, walkable shopping and restaurants — on Van Dyke Ave., north of 12 Mile Road.
"This is a great thing for Warren, because it brings more jobs to Warren: a thousand construction jobs, a minimum of 500 to 700 commercial jobs and more to come," Fouts told WWJ's Charlie Langton. "It's more money for the city. We're going to be guaranteed $2.5 million in new taxes."
While Fouts is gung-ho, he would need City Council's go-ahead to break ground, and Council President Pat Green is not prepared to sign off.
Green told Langton there's some problems with the funding.
Specifically, the city would have to approve at least $30 million in bonds for the project, which Green says doesn't make sense and may be illegal.
"When you spend tax dollars there has to be a public purpose for it; not a private purpose," Greene said. "There may be a public benefit to it, and potential economic development, but I'm not allowed to spend money for a private entity."
"Plante Moran in a one-page letter says in order for the developer to make 8% return on investment, the city most contribute $30 to $35 million. Now, they've had this for four years and we've had it for a month-and-a0half. So if you want me to give you $35 million, I'm gonna ask some questions."
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Fouts argues, however, that this won't cost Warren residents a penny, as the project will be paid for by recaptured funds from the DDA, and by the developer.
"The residential taxpayers pay zero," the mayor asserts, "and they get jobs, they get money, and they get a great place to shop and post pride in...and it's a destination for everybody in the metro area."
In addition the financial and legal worries, Green said of even greater concern to council members is that Fouts has tied this development to the replacement of a fire station at 9 Mile and Van Dyke, "that has been needed more than 20 years."
A heated debate is expected at Tuesday's council meeting, which begins a 7 p.m.