MACKINAC ISLAND – Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said Thursday he is open to some modifications of the Cobo Hall package, including a lease instead of transfer of the convention center to a regional authority. But he continued to warn that a continued stalemate on the bills that are now in the House will mean the area’s signature event, the annual auto show, will wind up in Chicago.

The change to a lease is one element of proposals by new Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who recently had said Patterson was in agreement on the issue that was derailed by rejection by the Detroit City Council of an earlier plan. Council members complained about the transfer of ownership of Cobo and the lack of preferences for Detroiters.

Possible changes to legislation on Cobo are being looked at, which could include a lease option, and a provision to expand a convention center other than the Rock Financial Center in Novi.

The Senate on Wednesday passed SB 585 , SB 586 , SB 587 and SB 588 giving the Detroit City Council one more chance to accept a regional ownership of Cobo, which would oversee its expansion, or provide state assistance to expand the Rock Center.

Patterson said he is not in full agreement with Bing, and continues to push for provisions in the Senate-passed legislation for using a tri-county tax that now goes to support Cobo for expansion of Rock Financial Place in Novi so it could serve as host to the North American International Auto Show.

He said the job preferences issue “is a nonstarter”” adding that contractors in all of the counties paying the tax should be given preferences.

But Patterson said he could also support a change in language to not specify the Novi center as an alternative, but instead reference any suburban location.

House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Twp.) told reporters that he is working on provisions in Cobo legislation that would allow for a lease. He is also looking at language that would allow for another suburban location to be used for a convention center.

Patterson said the issue is not one of city versus suburb, since he prefers the show remain in Detroit. But Patterson told reporters that the region needs a fallback position should the city again defeat the plan to use a new regional authority to manage and expand Cobo.

The legislation requires the city act by July 1, a deadline that Patterson said could be moved back a little to give the council adequate time to review the new deal.

Patterson said he remains concerned about the political fate of the bills, given what he termed a surprising Senate vote along party lines. A recurrence of that in the Democratic-controlled House would kill the proposal, he said. “If we vote along party lines to scuttle this legislation, I am confident the auto show will be in Chicago in 2011.”

The Detroit Auto Dealers Association, which runs the show, has a contract for 2010, but is now negotiating for the 2011 show.

Dillon said he was confident the issue could be worked out in the Legislature.

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