Thursday, April 2, 1998 | 9:09 a.m.
Barden, the Detroit businessman whose rejected proposal has become the rallying point for people demanding at least one black-owned casino, listened to the MGM Grand presentation Wednesday from the visitors' gallery. Afterward, he called the council hearing "April Fool's Day."
"There was nothing really answered of any substance with respect to the ownership issue, which is a major issue in the city of Detroit," the Detroit Free Press quoted Barden as saying.
Barden said he resented what he perceived as personal attacks against him in ads paid for by Citizens for Detroit Jobs, a group funded by the three casino developers favored by Archer, The Detroit News reported.
"I want to let you know that the personal attacks on me have not been taken lightly," said Barden, flanked by cheering members of the Community Coalition. The coalition has gathered enough signatures to put a question on the Aug. 4 primary ballot in which Detroiters would decide whether Barden should be awarded a casino license.
Barden charged that the ads imply he is stalling the casino process and keeping jobs from coming to Detroit. The ads, however, do not mention Barden or the coalition by name.
MGM Grand has been the focus of the coalition's efforts because that casino group has the fewest local investors.
Eight of MGM's local partners are black, one is Hispanic, and one is white. Because of the financial arrangement, it is impossible to calculate the percentage of the venture they own, the Free Press reported.
MGM Grand Chairman J. Terrence Lanni promised that blacks would hold at least five of the nine seats on a board that would run the Detroit casino.
"We don't consider ourselves out-of-town speculators; we intend to be good corporate neighbors," said Alex Yemenidjian, chief executive officer of MGM Grand.
The two other casino developers, Atwater/Circus Circus and Greektown/Chippewa Indians, have 10 percent and 14.6 percent black ownership, respectively.
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