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Detroit City Council Delays Casino Vote

"The delay, requested by the mayor's office, signaled its concern about winning support from at least five of the nine members.

"By late in the day, though, even the most vocal critics indicated that Kilpatrick's backstage lobbying would assure passage of at least two of the agreements -- with the third vote possibly coming later.

"…Council members said they felt intense pressure to pass the deals.

"`The decisions we make are not always good, happy decisions all the time,' Kay Everett said at a hearing. `But sometimes they are decisions that we are forced to do.'

"…MGM Grand executives Tuesday described a plan to build just north of the casino's current site alongside the Lodge Freeway, and they will submit details in three or four months. The council could vote Friday on that deal.

"…In 1999, the casinos began running temporary facilities, bringing in millions in tax dollars. Gambling-tax revenue for Detroit is expected to top $100 million this budget year.

"But without 30-year deals, the city can't count on tax revenue or the hotel space that is needed by Feb. 2006 when Detroit hosts the Super Bowl.

"….As the deals now stand, Detroit's casino market will look like this:

"Greektown will move to a location with greater visibility near Interstate 375 and Gratiot. It will keep its name, even after moving beyond the Greektown neighborhood.

"…MotorCity is expanding at its current location, northwest of downtown off the Lodge. Executives will have to take care that construction doesn't cause hiccups for Detroit's busiest casino, [Patrick Diedrickson, senior securities analyst for H&R Block Financial Advisors in Detroit] said.

"MGM Grand will build on 25 acres at an old DTE Energy site just north of its current location on the east side of the Lodge. Its temporary site is Detroit's most profitable casino.

"City officials estimate that the casinos now draw about $1.1 billion in gross revenue each year…"

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