The contract with the management firm which handles McMorran Place in Port Huron is about to terminate. That’s the word from City Manager James Freed who says the city’s Parks and Recreation Department will handle day to day affairs of the project effective June 1st. SMG, which handles entertainment bookings for a number of facilities, will still operate the county’s Convention Center. Freed has criticized the SMG company for handling the facility and both the company and city have essentially agreed to end their contract early. The termination agreement, an amendment to the original deal which had over a year left on it, still needs to go through the approval process of the McMorran Authority and City Council. SMG had been criticized by some as not booking enough events at McMorran and is a concern as to whether or not the facility could keep out of debt. Parks and Recreation has had success with the annual Rockin’ The Rivers concert series and the New Year’s Eve Anchor Drop.
