Matthew Moroun, vice chairman of the company that owns the Ambassador Bridge and opposes the public bridge across the Detroit River, said Thursday he expects the Canadian government will now look more favorably on his company’s proposal to use private money to build a bridge beside the Ambassador.
— The Detroit News, October 22, 2011
By Joel Thurtell
What gives with Detroit journalists?
Matty Moroun’s plan for building a new bridge beside his antique Ambassador Bridge linking Canada and the U.S. is hot air.
The twin cannot be built for two reasons:
1) He lacks permits on the Canadian side.
2) On the U.S. side, he doesn’t even own the land he needs to site his so-called “twin” bridge.
If you don’t believe me, go over to Windsor and note how the bridge approach stops abruptly. Then, stop by the Detroit side and notice how the city’s Riverside Park abuts the Ambassador.
Matty needs park land to build the U.S. side of his twin, and Detroit officials have refused to sell.
If they were so foolish as to sell the land to Matty, there would be a firestorm of public outrage and most likely a barrage of lawsuits, given that state and federal money have been spent on Riverside Park.
Matty simply cannot build that second bridge.
So why do he and his son Matthew keep talking about it?
Because Detroit’s onetime daily newspapers lend his empty threat credibility by refusing to print that the twin is a fraud.
They give Matty’s propaganda machine a free ride.
Metro Times has written about the scam of Matty’s twin.
But I wonder: Why do the Detroit “dailies” keep giving this piece of crap a free ride?
The truth about Matty’s twin?
It’s a lie.
Drop me a line at joelthurtell(at)gmail.com
Skip the state involvement in the NITC
no state money involved a billion dollar asset with a revenue stream of 100 million a year with the duty free sales plus tolls.
Are you kidding me let the city of Detroit step in it costs them nothing and solves many issues.
Controle of the toll credits 1.8 billion mabee we could fix Detroits roads at least leverage the repairs.
Our state says no.
Detroit says yes get it done. Aall the revenue would just be syphoned off to the rest of the state unless Detroit takes the oportunity to build it themselves.
This project has decimated Delray and Detroit should no longer sit on the sidelines as our state spends another 10 years taking bribes and destroying our communities
With a nod from Snyder Detroit could build this project under the Urban cooperation act. Detroit would be in line for the 57 million in toll revenue per year after the public private partner and Canada are paid back through tolls. Plus with Detroit ownership Detroit would controle the duty free concessions which could generate in excess of 300 million per year. Starting imediatelly. I can think of a ton of communities Delray included which could use investment. The potential to make Detroit a World class city again is right in front of our leaders.