Vote sought to bar casinos near Detroit River

Tuesday, May 23, 2000 | 11:13 a.m.

The area includes the Rivertown district, which has been selected as site for Detroit's three permanent casinos. Mayor Dennis Archer has faced problems in assembling land for the casinos.

Critics say the riverfront should be used for parks, shops, housing and restaurants.

The MGM Grand and MotorCity casinos are operating at temporary sites in downtown Detroit. The Greektown Casino is seeking permission to open at another downtown site.

"Time is getting short, and we decided it's time to take more aggressive action," Bob Jackman, vice president of the Riverfront East Alliance, told the Detroit Free Press for a story Tuesday.

The alliance is a 2-year-old group of residential and business owners in the area where three permanent casinos are supposed to be built.

"A lot of us would like the temporary casinos to stay where they are," Jackman said. "People will be in casinos on the river with no windows. They could be anywhere."

The group must collect nearly 5,000 signatures and turn them in at least 140 days before the November election, said city Deputy Elections Director Isa Assouz.

Jackman said the group aims to gather 15,000 signatures by June 16 and turn them in June 19, in time to meet that deadline. The group began collecting signatures Sunday.

The city plans permanent casinos by 2004 on 57 acres of a 100-acre section of riverfront. The casinos would cost $600 million to $800 million each and include hotels.

A judge has blocked the city's effort to condemn 47 properties for the riverfront casinos. Now, the city again is trying to buy the 47 properties. Archer says if the remaining landowners will not sell, he will move the permanent casinos to another, unidentified site.

MotorCity Casino spokesman Tom Shields said he is confident city voters support the mayor's site selection.

"The synergy of putting all three of them together will do more for the city" than leaving them where they are, he said.

The MGM Grand and Greektown casinos declined comment.