FeedsStadium fits city growth plan
A plan for a stadium could pave the way for Romulus to become headquarters for minor league sports in the state of Michigan – if the projects come to fruition.
The city is one of several sites under consideration for a 1.6 million square foot sports and entertainment facility, according to an announcement made by a group of investors called Metro Sports Center LLC Tuesday.
Mayor Alan Lambert, who did not attend the press conference at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Romulus, said he “would love to talk about the development more.”
“I do think it fits in with our overall plans,” he said. “The bottom line is that (the developers) need to come to us.”
If the 12,000-seat stadium is built in the city – and other plans for a minor league baseball park – materialize, it would bring the trifecta of minor league sports to Romulus: baseball, basketball, and hockey.
Arena football would also come to the city, according to the plans presented by Metro Sports Center LLC.
Entertainment has loomed as a big theme in the city for several years. A proposed horse racing track and casino near Vining Road are working their way through the federal approvals process.
Those two projects would help serve as anchors for the “Airport City” concept touted by the county, and if the Metro Sports Center ultimately chooses another site, it’s not going to derail the city’s plans, said Lambert.
“We have other things we’re looking at regarding sports and entertainment, and we hope to be able to make an announcement later this year,” he said.
Chief among those plans are ongoing talks with Bear Creek Capital, which is one of the major developers for the Metro World mixed-use development that would surround the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
“We’re still talking right now, but I would say negotiations are going smoothly,” he said.
Metro World Center is a concept that would cover a 73-acre area of vacant land.
Initially the concept included some office and technology space, but the decision was made last year to widen the area that would be earmarked for entertainment and retail purposes. A baseball park would potentially be located at Wick and Vining roads, near the proposed casino.
Another stadium in addition to the potential Bear Creek project would be a harbinger for good in the city and Wayne County, which has suffered from job losses for the past five years and a lag in economic development, Lambert said.
“We get tired of looking at all of that vacant land over by the airport,” he said. “We need to have development over there; we need more tax base.”
Jacquelyn Vaughn, a spokesperson for Metro Sport Center, declined to say how many other sites are under consideration for the project. She also declined to say when a final decision is expected.
