Construction of a new Red Wings arena near downtown cleared a hurdle with a City Council committee on Thursday, but the council president said the developers promises to hire Detroiters on the project are not yet strong enough to win her final support for the project. <\/p>\n
Council President Brenda Jones said she still wants a guarantee that Detroit residents will receive jobs after the arena is built. <\/p>\n
Related: New Red Wings arena project should mean jobs for Detroiters, groups say <\/p>\n
At the meeting, representatives of the arenas developer Olympia Development of Michigan, an Ilitch company did not commit to changing the terms of the arenas work force requirements, but they insisted the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, has a strong history of hiring Detroiters. <\/p>\n
Jones said she wants more than a verbal commitment. <\/p>\n
We can look at a history forever, but at the end of the day if something is not in writing, and you know as well as I know, it means absolutely nothing, she said. Thats my concern. Ive had that concern all along, and I still have that concern. <\/p>\n
Ultimately, the councils planning and economic development committee on Thursday unanimously agreed to send legislation to transfer public land for the arena to the full council for a possible vote on Tuesday. Jones is not a voting member of the three-member committee. <\/p>\n
There appeared to be some confusion after the meeting about whether the council committee sent the legislation to the full council with a recommendation for approval. <\/p>\n
Councilwoman Mary Sheffield, a member of the committee, said the committee was not making a recommendation for or against the land transfer and that she has not decided how she would vote on Tuesday. <\/p>\n
But Councilman Gabe Leland, chairman of the committee, had a different view of the committees vote. <\/p>\n
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The rest is here: <\/p>\n
Land transfer for proposed Red Wings arena clears council committee, heads for final vote Tuesday<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Construction of a new Red Wings arena near downtown cleared a hurdle with a City Council committee on Thursday, but the council president said the developers promises to hire Detroiters on the project are not yet strong enough to win her final support for the project. Council President Brenda Jones said she still wants a guarantee that Detroit residents will receive jobs after the arena is built. Related: New Red Wings arena project should mean jobs for Detroiters, groups say At the meeting, representatives of the arenas developer Olympia Development of Michigan, an Ilitch company did not commit to changing the terms of the arenas work force requirements, but they insisted the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, has a strong history of hiring Detroiters Continue reading