But demands from city council and local labor unions have some worried the deal could go under. The first issue concerns something called project labor agreements.
Local unions want it written into the sale that local labor unions will be used on the Marina District project. Those PLA's stipulate that there will be no strikes or lock-outs or work stoppages and they outline the wage scale for various trades.
Ron Rothenbuhler of the Regional Council of Carpenters says, "We just want to make sure that we have a piece of the action and a promise for that we will do a good job and have no interruptions."
But here's the issue with the PLAs. They are perpetual. That means they last forever and bind future owners of the property to the terms negotiated now. And that has some people concerned.
Councilman Mike Craig says PLAs are common, but this one would be included in the deed, which is very unusual. Craig says "People will look at how well this deal went down and determine in the future whether they're willing to bring their dollars to Toledo to help develop."
With $43 million in taxpayer money tied up in the Marina District, other councilmembers believe whoever builds on the site owes it to taxpayers to hire local workers.
And councilman Mike Collins goes so far as to demand the Chinese group interested in the land build a sizeable portion within a specific timeframe. Collins says he wants "assurances that something will be done and something will be done on a schedule."
But the mayor's office sees that as another potential deal breaker. Deputy mayor Steve Herwat says, "No reasonable developer is going to sign an agreement with that sort of a provision in there."
Labor unions say so far, the Chinese group hasn't talked to them about a project labor agreement. And Mike Collins's idea may not have much support on council. But the mayor's office says issues like these may scare off future investor groups.
