George Sipple

Detroit Free Press

Arn Tellem revealed to the Detroit Free Press tonight that the bid to bring an expansion Major League Soccer team to Detroit in 2020 included just one potential site for a stadium location — the stalled Wayne County Jail project at Gratiot and St. Antoine, near Greektown.

Tellem, the Palace Sports & Entertainment vice chairman who spearheaded the expansion bid for NBA owners Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores, said the plan calls for a 23,000-seat stadium with room to grow.

​"Right now the intent is to build on the jail site," Tellem said. "And that's what we've expressed to the MLS."

Detroit today became one of a dozen cities to submit an expansion application to join MLS. The league had set a Tuesday deadline for bid submissions as it seeks to add two expansion teams in 2020 and two more in 2022.

MLS is seeking an expansion fee of $150 million for each of the teams selected for 2020. Those teams are expected to be announced in the second half of this year. The league hasn't yet announced the expansion fee it will seek for 2022, but it's expected to be more than $150 million.

Detroit’s bid is a joint venture between Gores and Gilbert, who announced in April a plan for a $1-billion development at the downtown Wayne County Jail site that would include a soccer-specific stadium.

The Free Press previously reported that Gilbert's Rock Ventures has been working with architectural firm HOK and construction firm Barton Malow over several months to develop an offer for the jail site. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans has said he needs the offer by Feb. 10.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber has previously stated the jail site is the preferred stadium location if Detroit is to be awarded an expansion team.

"We said 23,000 with room to expand," Tellem said. "It's just more for discussion points with MLS.

"My line is 'trust the process'. I hate to say we're taking it from the (Philadelphia) 76ers, but 'trust the process.'"

Tellem would not discuss how the stadium would be paid for.

"At this point, it's really, I think, premature to get into those points," Tellem said. "... I'm not getting into the financial details of the bid at this point."

The other cities that submitted expansion bids were Charlotte, N.C., Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, N.C., Sacramento, St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa/St. Petersburg.

"I don't want to talk about other cities," Tellem said. "I feel we have a compelling bid based on the ownership group, that we have a great site."

Gores said in a statement: “I’m energized about what this opportunity means for the city and the region. Detroit is rising, reinventing itself. I’m excited to partner with Dan and continue to play a role in Detroit’s resurgence.”

Related:

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“Detroit sports fans are some of the most passionate in the world. No where else can you find as many major league teams in the urban core than in Detroit,” Gilbert said in the statement. “Since soccer is the most popular global sport, we also hope having an MLS team will put Detroit on the map with new audiences, attracting more visitors and more residents to the city.”

Tellem said the ownership combo of Gilbert and Gores is "unparalleled" in sports.

"Detroit is, I think, the most compelling city that has applied for an expansion team, given its great sports history and its support of all the teams here," Tellem said. "It's the largest metropolitan area without a (MLS) soccer team."

Tellem added that the fan support of both Detroit City FC and the Michigan Bucks is proof that there's an appetite for soccer in this market and he looks forward to working with ownership of both groups in the future.

Tellem said there are other reasons Detroit's expansion bid is strong.

"International soccer events have sold out here, and, of all the available cities, we have the largest millennial population that continues to grow with all the revitalization that is going on in Detroit," Tellem said. "I just think we have all the ingredients necessary to have a successful MLS franchise and one that will serve the league well and the league will be proud of."

Tellem said the next step is to wait for MLS officials to reach out and continue a dialogue, which will include a presentation for the expansion committee sometime in late spring.

The applications were supposed to include details about plans for ownership, a stadium, and corporate and community support.

“From pickup to club to high school to the World Cup, I have been shaped by Detroit soccer," said Fox soccer analyst Alexi Lalas. "I’m excited about the possibility of Major League Soccer coming to Detroit. There’s a vibrant and unique soccer culture and history in metro Detroit and Michigan. I think professional soccer, as a sport and business, fits in perfectly with the rebirth and growth of a city and area I know and love. This impressive and committed ownership group believes in the city and the sport, and the bright future of both."

While the Detroit Sports Commission isn’t involved in the Gilbert/Gores project, it does support the idea of MLS coming to the region. The Detroit Sports Commission is a subsidiary of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau and tries to attract amateur, international and professional sporting events in metro Detroit.

“Any time you can add another world-class venue to the downtown core and everything that’s already going on in the city, it provides a great opportunity to sell another event in another venue,” said Dave Beachnau, executive director of the Detroit Sports Commission. “I see it as definitely a positive.

"We're about promoting tourism and driving visitors through athletic and sports games that take place in the city."

Contact George Sipple: gsipple@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @georgesipple.