Pontiac will host public meetings with residents, and will broadcast similarmeetings over the local cable television channel, said Eric Walker of thestadium authority.

"We want to show the presentations from the developers, so that the publiccan get a feel of what's going on, and maybe solicit some ideas from them,"Walker told GlobeSt.com.

Three companies have submitted plans to rebuild the Silverdome, all of whichinclude large mixed-use developments, gaming centers, industrial parks and aconvention/entertainment center. The Lions moved back into Downtown Detroit at the start of last season, intoa $500-million new stadium 30 miles away called Ford Field.

Proposals from Southfield-based Schostak Brothers Co. Inc.; Southfield-basedEtkin Equities and Trenton, MI-based Danou Development LLC were presented tothe authority recently. Tapes were made of the presentations so that theycan be played for the public at the meetings, Walker said.

The meetings with the tapes will be scheduled first, Walker said. Then,there will be question-and-answer meetings for public concerns, Walker said.No dates have been set yet for the public hearings.

The Schostak proposal includes development of an interactive centerfeaturing 200,000 sf of retail, 500,000 sf of industrial development,a 70,000-sf community recreational center, a 370,000-sf automotive exhibitcenter and hotel, and 300,000 sf of office space called the Pontiac TowneCenter. The company is offering to buy the site for $18.5 million, and wouldspend $300 million to build the development in the next five to 10 years.

The Etkin proposal includes two phases. Phase one would include 873,200 sffor 18 buildflex-tech or laboratory buildings, restaurants and aretail center, and keeping the Silverdome intact until all contracted eventsare satisfied. Phase one would be to demolish the Silverdome and use the543,000 sf for parking or future tech buildings, possibly 17 new facilities.Etkin gave an alternative proposal, which would be to create a casino gamingcomplex with retail, restaurants and a hotel. The company says it wouldpurchase the property for about $11.2 million, plus a potential thirdinstallment of $1 million if 80% of the land can be absorbed. Etkinofficials did not estimate the development cost.

The Danou proposal includes building a 330,000-sf convention center, a500-room hotel, 74,000 sf of family and adult-style entertainment with a14-screen theater complex, a 500,000-sf retail mall, 670,000-sf officebuilding, 400 townhomes and condominiums and a 50,000-sf aquarium called"Silverdome World." Danou says it would buy the site for $1 and spend $35million for site preparation. Development cost would be more than $415million, the company says.

Walker said the city hopes to have a developer chosen by the end of thisyear. The recommendation would first go through an ad-hoc committee of theauthority, then to the authority itself, then to city council for approval.

The 127.5-acre site is surrounded by the cities of Auburn Hills andRochester Hills, MI, home of many automotive suppliers and the North Americanheadquarters of Daimler Chrysler.

The Silverdome is owned and operated by its own building authority. Theauthority was incorporated in 1968 by the City to acquire property and toconstruct the large covered stadium, which cost $55 million to construct.

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