Chappelle insisted the name of the lender had been made known to the council, but resisted letting it become public knowledge to avoid harming it. He added the name would eventually become public before a development agreement forms, but he still wished that it be kept secret until after the due diligence period was completed.

“As a practical matter, that name will be public knowledge anyway,” he said. “I think if we can wait to the end of the due diligence period, there will be enough back and forth between the lender and the city that it would (become public knowledge).”

Planning and Community Development Director Tim Dempsey said allowing for some leeway regarding the name of the developer was a possibility that council should consider.

“The optimal solution with the lender is to get the name to the city at some point between the conclusion of the due diligence period but certainly prior to entering into a development agreement,” he said during the meeting.

Still, some councilmembers disagreed with Chappelle’s request to keep some information private.

Councilmember Vic Loomis said he appreciated Chappelle’s wish to keep some of the information requested out of the public realm, but because of the lender’s substantial contribution to City Center II, the council would need as much information as possible to make an educated decision.

“They’re (contributing) $50 million of a $105 million project,” he said. “That’s bigger than anybody else that’s involved in this project. They are the project. So I, for one, will want disclosure as to who this lender is, whatever way we can get it.”

Councilmember Don Power also expressed concerns about keeping certain information private to the public, as he said the council needs to work to best represent the needs of the citizens of East Lansing.

“The potential impact is to deny the public the transparency they need to participate (in the decision-making process),” he said.

Ultimately the council agreed to continue forward with the due diligence period — which is set to end on June 26 — and request more information if what is provided is insufficient.

“As the information comes, if it’s not acceptable — I’m going to guess you’re not getting that vote,” Mayor Diane Goddeeris warned Chappelle.

The council also discussed the renewal of City Attorney Tom Yeadon’s contract to remain employed by the city of East Lansing.

Yeadon has been the City Attorney since April 1, when he stepped into the role previously filled by Dennis McGinty. Because of his short tenure in the position, council agreed to allow for a 90-day extension of Yeadon’s contract with a tentative plan to further evaluate his role with the city at the end of September.