Warren Mayor Delivers Plans To GM CEO
Mayor's Plans Call For GM To Move Headquarters To Warren
POSTED: Thursday, May 28, 2009
UPDATED: 6:39 pm EDT May 28,
2009
DETROIT -- A suburban Detroit mayor has delivered proposals to lure General Motors Corp.'s headquarters from downtown Detroit to the automaker's Warren Tech Center that includes 30-year tax abatements.
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts said Thursday he delivered the offers to CEO Fritz Henderson at the company's Renaissance Center headquarters. GM's design, engineering and other operations are at the Tech Center, about 20 miles northeast.
"We are offering them a tax abatement, which would be 50 percent off of their new building for 12 years," Fouts said. "That's the most we can give."
Fouts said the Tech Center has a complete facility to keep the automaker up and running.
"It has research, it has design, it has engineering, it has testing and it has administration," Fouts said. "It has everything you would need. The Ren Cen just has 4,300 people there."
Henderson said earlier this month he hadn't ruled out a move to Warren, but it wasn't at the top of his priority list. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson on Thursday reiterated Henderson's earlier statement.
"GM has been a valuable corporate, citizen for many years in this, community and I will fight, vigorously on behalf of the city, of Detroit, our residents and our, businesses to keep it here," Detroit Mayor Dave Bing said in a statement.
Fouts said he has given much thought to how his request would affect Detroit.
"This is not about race, it is not about Detroit versus Warren, or anything of that nature," he said. "It's about saving jobs, it's about protecting jobs for all, regardless of race, creed or color."
Fouts said he's received a lot of support for his proposal and is awaiting any response from GM.
Previous Warren Mayor Stories:
Previous GM Stories: - May 27, 2009: GM Says Bondholder Offer Fails
- May 27, 2009: Bondholder's Decision Announced Today
- May 27, 2009: Car Czar To Ask For Suppliers Help
- May 26, 2009: UAW Trust To Get 17.5% Of GM Shares
- May 26, 2009: CAW Votes To Accept Deal With GM
- May 25, 2009: GM Deadline Looms
- May 24, 2009: Future Of GM's Opel Is In Takeover
- May 22, 2009: GM Borrows Another $4 Billion
- May 21, 2009: UAW, GM Reach Deal
- May 20, 2009: GM: Still No Deals With Treasury, UAW
- May 18, 2009: Sources: GM, UAW Closing In On Deal
- May 18, 2009: City Of Warren Wants GM Headquarters
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