Businessman unveils plan for $500 million casino project

Tuesday, June 3, 1997 | 11:32 a.m.

Don Barden said Monday he would build a monorail to connect his MotorCity Center to Cobo Center downtown. The center, with about 100,000 square feet of gaming space, would be near the bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported today.

The proposed site is in an industrial area outside the boundaries tentatively established for a casino district. The City Council has said it wanted casinos in the central downtown area and within walking distance of each other, to spur entertainment development.

"Walking distance is fine if you have that luxury," Barden said. "But from a practical standpoint, you may not.

"To make it a destination, you need parking and hotels and other things," he said. "You just can't shoehorn that into a one-street area downtown."

Barden outlined a project with two large hotel towers with 1,000 rooms, restaurants, theaters and a boxing center. To connect the site to downtown, Barden said he'll spend $15 million to $20 million to build a monorail to Cobo, where people could then transfer to the city's People Mover.

Barden, a 53-year-old native Detroiter, made $115 million from the sale of his cable television business in 1994. He opened a riverboat casino near Gary, Ind. last year, making him the nation's only black casino owner.

To finance the Detroit casino, Barden said he would not rule out adding a major gambling company as a partner but doesn't think he needs one. He said he already has the financing lined up.

Barden said he will ask the city planning commission today to add his site to the proposed gaming enterprise district. The commission is scheduled to vote on the district boundaries Thursday.

All casino licenses need council approval.

Some council members said they like Barden's casino plans enough to consider expanding the boundaries to include his site.

"Everything can be amended," said Gil Hill, head of the council's committee on casino gaming.

"I think it's a marvelous site that's extremely underused in development now," said council member Brenda Scott.

Mayor Dennis Archer is expected to release casino requirements, including site recommendations, next week. The mayor's casino advisers have said the gambling houses should be near each other and not on the riverfront.

"The first attempt should be made to cluster the casinos," said Jason Ader, a Wall Street gaming analyst with the Bear, Stearns brokerage firm. "A clustered group of casinos is ultimately going to lead to a more concentrated base of gaming customers and revenues."

If the council or the mayor doesn't approve his site, Barden said he will submit an alternate plan that meets their requirements.