The Downtown Development Authority has proposed a conference center of 100,000 sf to 250,000 sf, a hotel with up to 400 rooms, a 100,000-sf office building, a 5,000-seat performing arts theater, up to three restaurants and up to 6,000 sf of retail. Public spaces would include an amphitheater, water elements, landscaped festival areas, a skating rink, trails and benches.

The disagreement isn't new. The Council has worked for more than a decade on what should go on the site, examining and then rejecting various projects, including a large commercial/office development by Liberty Property Trust in the late 1990s.

At the center of the debate Friday was 11 acres, including the property that surrounds the Ford and Earl building, built by the late famous architect Minoru Yamasaki. The city's pension fund owns the building, and Troy would have to buy the building. Council members said they would like to incorporate the Ford and Earl buildings' entrance into any future use.

The entrance was the only portion of the proposed development that the council could agree on, however. Pryor said that the administration should bring a request for proposals, based on the DDA project plans, to the council at its Febrary 3 meeting.

A few council members said they may be more apt to follow a resident group's idea for the property, an idea that would just build baseball and other athletic fields and park areas on the land. "I don't support any commercial use of publicly-owned property," says Councilman Martin Howrylak.

Pryor, who supports the DDA proposal, was visibly frustrated during the meeting. He said that because of the indecision, the property use will likely have to be put up for a vote of the residents.

The property can't be developed for at least two years anyway. Pryor and the city staff met with officials from the state-run Michigan Economic Development Corp. last week, who told the city that it would take two years to raise the estimated $40 million of state money to help fund a conference center.

Pryor said state officials like the idea, however. "They know this conference center would serve this region, not just Troy residents," Pryor says.The mayor states he'd like to garner the funding from the state for a conference center before other government officials move such a project to the Pontiac Silverdome, the former home of the Detroit Lions football team in Pontiac.

Ron Wilson, a resident and president of Hospitality Advisors Consulting Group, told the council that it should consider Wall Street bonds to raise money for the conference center project. "The conference center and hotel should be combined. Running them separately just won't work," Wilson said.

The site already features the city hall, police and fire stations, the library, a community center, an aquatic center and a nature center. Plans for an IMAX Theater and Children's Museum were canceled in May 2001, after Pryor was elected.