DETROIT – The Detroit City Council approved a controversial land swap deal with the Moroun family late Tuesday afternoon.
That land is close to four acres right next to the Ambassador Bridge, and the deal raised significant concerns from people in the neighborhood.
Local 4 spoke to Matthew Moroun after the vote.
Moroun said many unexpected things, like the land behind the area for what everyone in Detroit assumed was a second span. He said Tuesday (Feb. 21) afternoon that he is no longer trying to put a second span across the Detroit River.
Read: City Council to vote Tuesday on land transfer deal in Southwest Detroit
He told members he lived up to the deal he cut with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in 2015 and wants the city to live up to its part. That means giving his company the vacant parcel under the bridge in exchange for about four acres of land, where they’ve developed skate parks and the like along the river.
Residents of the nearby Hubbard Richard neighborhood lined up to ask the City Council to say no.
“The bridge really needs to deliver community benefits,” said Shaun Nethercott. “It has always for years and years and years delivered community deficits.”
“Get back to the table to negotiate so that our community has some kind of a benefit agreement before a critical piece of land is given to a really bad actor, which is the International Bridge Company,” said Jessica Trevino.
They assume, as was the original intent when Moroun’s father was alive, to build a second span next to the old bridge. Moroun brought an equally surprising response to that question Tuesday.
Rod Meloni: “Are you still looking to do the second span over the river?”
Moroun: “Not right now. The Gordy Howe is going to be a great bridge, and the ambassador bridge will last for another 75 to 100 years, and it’s all we need for the foreseeable future.”
Rod Meloni: “What do you do with that parcel?
Moroun: Well, you know, Rod, we negotiated to get that parcel so that we could build a second span, so now what are we going to do with it? It’s just going to be a nice-looking piece of land.”
With Tuesday’s vote, the city will get another $2 million from Moroun to finish the rest of the park.
Watch the extended interview with Maroun below:
