The ambitious vision for a Sports Illustrated-branded resort in Ann Arbor is facing stiff opposition, with the Ann Arbor City Council set to knock the proposal out of the park. A recent community meeting at the city hall laid bare the obstacles for the $200 million development plan that aimed to bring a 16-story hotel and conference center to the downtown area, a location currently marked by the city-owned Kline Lot parking lot on Ashley Street. City Administrator Milton Dohoney confirmed during the meeting that approval would require a supermajority of eight votes from the 11-member council, as MLive.com reported.
However, the development spearheaded by Sports Hospitality Ventures has come under scrutiny for reasons beyond reaching a voting threshold; the councilmembers already expressing their dissent make the project's defeat look inevitable. The Council's hesitance is not the only hurdle, residents have vocalized unease about the prospective project's alignment with the city's image, citing the brand's association with its swimsuit issue one community member Jeff Hayner questioned the partnership by saying, "Why would the city be partnering with an organization that is restructuring right now and perhaps, best known for exploiting women in a swimsuit issue? Is that our brand in Ann Arbor?" a concern picked up from a meeting on Monday night, as reported by WXYZ-TV.
In light of the Sports Illustrated brand's turmoil which includes layoffs and the recent revocation of The Arena Group's license by the brand's owner, Authentic Brands Group, the proposal's timing couldn't be worse. Sports Illustrated Resorts CEO Chris Schroeder, an Ann Arbor resident, had touted the resort as a Michigan-themed attraction designed to honor athletic achievements in the state, bringing with it hotel, condo spaces, and event venues. Despite the potential for economic infusion, critics are emphatic about the city's need to address more pressing issues like affordable housing, with resident Doug Aikenhead emphasizing, "We need to stop kicking the affordable-housing can down the road and make an opportunity for people who work here to live here," in statements made during the public meeting, as cited by WXYZ-TV.
Councilmember Jen Eyer sums up the prevailing sentiment, "I just don’t think it’s the right fit, I don’t think the brand is the right fit," amid concerns about representation and brand image, especially women featured on the resorts' website in bikinis, as covered by Awful Announcing. With the council's vote expected to mark the end of Sports Illustrated's bid to add Ann Arbor to its list of high-profile hospitality destinations that include locations in the Dominican Republic, Orlando, and Tuscaloosa, the resort plan seems to be on the losing side of a locality grappling with broader civic priorities and identity concerns.
