Casino’s neighbors air concerns

Friday, March 14, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

DETROIT -- Greektown Casino's future neighbors have concerns about the plan for its permanent location, including highway access and a proposed 29-story hotel complex.

Greektown's plan under a deal reached last year with the city includes a 400-room hotel, 100,000 square feet of gambling space, a 1,500-seat theater, conference space, more restaurants and a 10-story parking garage. Another 400 hotel rooms could be added depending on demand.

The casino plans to build its new location -- expected to open in 2005 -- on seven acres in the downtown entertainment district. MGM Grand Detroit and MotorCity casinos plan to settle on 25 acres on the outskirts Detroit.

The 12-member Entertainment District Association says it welcomes Greektown, but has concerns, The Detroit News reported today.

Among the greatest is traffic. Greektown's 75,000 square feet of current gambling space already attracts more than 12,000 people daily.

A traffic study showed about two-thirds of patrons going to the permanent location would use one exit from Interstate 75.

The association says the casino needs its own exit. Otherwise, traffic flows will be like "pushing tremendous bulk through a keyhole," Chuck Forbes, owner of the Gem Century and State theaters, told the planning commission.

And in a March 6 letter to Detroit's City Planning Commission, Ford Field General Manager Joan LeMahieu took issue with the 29-story hotel tower.

"There are no other structures of this scale nearby, and we'd like the designers to consider reducing its height," she wrote.