The key figure handling Detroit's bid for a Major League Soccer team said Tuesday that he expects to meet the league's expansion committee by the end of spring with a solidified plan — meaning clarity on where a stadium would be built.

"Our expectation is that we're going to be meeting with the expansion committee probably in late spring, in May or early June," Arn Tellem said. "Our hope is to be prepared and put our best foot forward by then, and to have things solidified by then."

What remains to be solidified is the site of the proposed $1 billion soccer stadium and mixed-use development proposed for the unfinished Wayne County jail site at I-375 and Gratiot Avenue in downtown Detroit.

Tellem's remarks came during a short news conference for VIPs prior to Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores being honored as Crain's Detroit Business' Newsmaker of the Year at a luncheon attended by 460 people at MotorCity Casino Hotel. Tellem is Gores' top lieutenant.

Gores and fellow Detroit billionaire Dan Gilbert jointly submitted an MLS expansion bid Jan. 31, formalizing their April announcement that they intend to build a 23,000-seat soccer stadium surrounded by office and residential towers, along with retail and public spaces.

The Gores-Gilbert bid is contingent on securing the jail site, and did not include alternative locations. They remain in negotiations with the county on a proposal to build a new jail elsewhere in the city in return for the land.

MLS expects to award two expansion teams in the third quarter of this year, and two more at an undetermined point after that. The Gores-Gilbert effort has said it wants a stadium done by 2020, which is when the expansion teams awarded this year are expected by MLS to begin play.

Gores hired Tellem in 2015 to quarterback his effort to become more involved philanthropically and business-wise in Detroit and elsewhere in Michigan. The MLS bid is part of that initiative, as is the Tellem-led decision to relocate the Pistons to Little Caesars Arena when it opens downtown in September.

The tentative relocation deal was announced by Gores in November as a deal between the Pistons and Olympia Development, the entity handling the arena project for the Ilitch family, who initially created the building for their Detroit Red Wings.

Tellem said a few undisclosed things still were being worked out between the organizations. Olympia and the Pistons have a private agreement that covers details such as revenue splits.

"There are still some minor issues we have to conclude, but we know we'll do that soon," he said. "The basic deal is done. We have pretty much agreement on virtually all of the issues. We're really excited about our partnership with the Ilitches. We really feel it's going to be a great partnership and why we did it."

Additionally, the overall deal to move the team into the publicly-owned building still requires approval from the city and NBA.

On Tuesday, Tellem also said plans are in the works for the celebration to close out the Palace, which has been the Pistons' home since 1988.

"We're planning some interesting things," he said, adding that an announcement on specifics should come within a month or two.

The building is expected to be either razed and the land repurposed for commercial development, or used for business that wouldn't compete with Little Caesars Arena.

When asked about what's next for the Palace, Tellem deadpanned: "We have a game tonight," drawing chuckles from the crowd. Tellem noted the team has 11 remaining home games.

When asked to elaborate on the Palace's fate, he said it remains in the planning phase. "We haven't decided right now. We're starting to have meetings about the future," he said.