Christine Ferretti

The Detroit News

Detroit — Mayor Mike Duggan says Dan Gilbert’s plan for a new criminal justice complex downtown makes “very good sense” and, no matter the outcome, he’s confident Detroit will be home to a major league soccer franchise.

Gilbert’s Rock Ventures LLC submitted a plan to Wayne County late Monday that calls for a $1 billion mixed-use development anchored by a 23,000-seat soccer stadium at the half-built Wayne County jail site on the edge of Greektown.

In exchange for the site, the Gilbert company would build a new Criminal Justice Center on eight acres just east of the Interstate 75 service drive between East Forest and East Warren. The decision rests with Wayne County.

“(Wayne County Executive) Warren Evans knows what he’s doing, and if they’ve got a plan that doesn’t cost Wayne County taxpayers any more I think he’ll take it,” Duggan said during an unrelated news conference at the DTE Energy headquarters.

“Warren and I-75 makes very good sense for a criminal justice center,” said Duggan, noting a prior contemplated plan to locate a jail to Mound Road would have been “totally inconvenient for jurors and witnesses.”

“Whether the numbers make sense, the county executive will analyze and reach the right conclusion on,” Duggan added. “It’s a question of whether this deal works out for Wayne County taxpayers. I just don’t have any insight into that.”

Either way, the mayor — an advocate for an MLS franchise in the city — said Detroit has other viable sites for the stadium should this plan not work out. Although, he declined Wednesday to name them.

“I feel very good about our options for landing an MLS franchise,” he said. “Detroit is the largest market in America that does not have an MLS team.”

The only reason Detroit doesn’t have a franchise, Duggan said, is because it hasn’t had an outdoor stadium that seats 20,000 to 30,000.

“That’s the only reason we don’t have a franchise today,” he said.

Rock Ventures’ proposal offers to charge the county $300 million for a project the firm estimates would cost some $420 million to complete. About $151 million has been spent so far in construction, acquisition and design of the jail, according to Wayne County officials.

Gilbert’s plan seeks an answer from the county by Feb. 20. Evans has said the county is studying each of its proposals. He’s not taking that date as a “hard deadline,” he said.

The Gilbert plan sets a 2020 goal for completion of the new justice center. It’s also the first year a possible Detroit expansion team in Major League Soccer would be eligible to play. That team, co-owned by Gilbert and Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, would play in a 23,000-seat stadium that’s part of the $1 billion overall development.

The prospect of two major franchise owners, like Gores and Gilbert, teaming up for an MLS franchise was “inconceivable” a few years back, Duggan said, adding he believes they are “likely to be successful.”

cferretti@detroitnews.com

Staff writers Louis Aguilar and Charles E. Ramirez contributed