The Racine City Council failed to override Mayor Cory Mason's veto Tuesday night of a proposed downtown arena and convention center complex.
Seven aldermen voted in favor of the override; ten votes had been needed to reach the required two-thirds majority.
Proponents viewed the project as a potential catalyst for downtown development, while opponents believed it was too risky for city taxpayers. The newly-elected Mason, who had expressed his opposition during the campaign, said he felt residents were overwhelmingly against the idea.
The vote to sustain the veto came even after an entity associated with Madison's Edgewater Hotel and developer Jon Hammes--a Racine native--offered to build the hotel portion of the complex without tax incremental financing.
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