Galleria property in compact, Mashpee Wampanoag tribe says it has no agreement to purchase mall
TAUNTON —
The casino compact between the state and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe identifies more than 100 acres of Silver City Galleria mall property as being part of the approved site for the proposed tribal casino, although the tribe says it has no agreement in place to purchase the parcels.
The tribe remains focused on building a casino on land it has under option in Liberty & Union Industrial Park and would inform the city if its were to change, a spokeswoman for the Mashpee said Thursday.
C-III Capital Partners, the group that owns the mall, declined comment.
The inclusion of the mall property in the compact suggests that if the tribe were to acquire the Galleria as a part of future plans, the property would be subject to the terms of the compact. Taunton officials said they were unaware of any purchase agreement regarding the Galleria.
Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr., who supports the tribal casino proposal, said he didn’t find out the Galleria land was identified in the compact until he saw it in the document.
“We’re working on a resolution,” he said, adding that he met Thursday with Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell. “My only concern is protecting the city of Taunton’s interests.”
The 146 acres of land previously identified as part of the tribe’s proposed casino project are located in and around Liberty & Union Industrial Park, which sits across Route 140 from the mall. The Liberty & Union parcels, which still remain listed as part of the proposed casino site, are connected to the Galleria property by the Stevens Street overpass.
The tribe reportedly pursued an agreement to purchase the Galleria last year, but was unable to make a deal.
An expansion of the proposed casino site to include the Silver City Galleria property would comply with the language of the ballot question that Taunton voters approved last year in a citywide referendum.
The language of the ballot question was as follows: “Shall the City of Taunton, pursuant to Section 91 of Chapter 194 of the Acts of 2011, approve the operation of a tribal gaming establishment proposed by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to be located east of Route 24 in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of Route 24 and Route 140?”
Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan, whose city once pursued a casino deal with the Mashpee, is a vocal critic of a provision in the state law that gives the Mashpee an exclusive window to establish a tribal casino without commercial competition in the area.
The tribe remains focused on building a casino on land it has under option in Liberty & Union Industrial Park and would inform the city if its were to change, a spokeswoman for the Mashpee said Thursday.
C-III Capital Partners, the group that owns the mall, declined comment.
The inclusion of the mall property in the compact suggests that if the tribe were to acquire the Galleria as a part of future plans, the property would be subject to the terms of the compact. Taunton officials said they were unaware of any purchase agreement regarding the Galleria.
Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr., who supports the tribal casino proposal, said he didn’t find out the Galleria land was identified in the compact until he saw it in the document.
“We’re working on a resolution,” he said, adding that he met Thursday with Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell. “My only concern is protecting the city of Taunton’s interests.”
The 146 acres of land previously identified as part of the tribe’s proposed casino project are located in and around Liberty & Union Industrial Park, which sits across Route 140 from the mall. The Liberty & Union parcels, which still remain listed as part of the proposed casino site, are connected to the Galleria property by the Stevens Street overpass.
The tribe reportedly pursued an agreement to purchase the Galleria last year, but was unable to make a deal.
An expansion of the proposed casino site to include the Silver City Galleria property would comply with the language of the ballot question that Taunton voters approved last year in a citywide referendum.
The language of the ballot question was as follows: “Shall the City of Taunton, pursuant to Section 91 of Chapter 194 of the Acts of 2011, approve the operation of a tribal gaming establishment proposed by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe to be located east of Route 24 in the immediate vicinity of the intersection of Route 24 and Route 140?”
Fall River Mayor Will Flanagan, whose city once pursued a casino deal with the Mashpee, is a vocal critic of a provision in the state law that gives the Mashpee an exclusive window to establish a tribal casino without commercial competition in the area.
He believes the inclusion of the Silver City Galleria property in the compact raises questions over the validity of the vote in Taunton.
“When the people went to the voting booth, did they know that was the site?” Flanagan questioned.
“If they knew that was the site, would their vote change?”
The Silver City Galleria, which has roughly two-dozen vacancies, was acquired in December 2011 by Texas-based C-III Capital Partners. The mall’s previous owner, General Growth Properties, had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and eventually emerged, selling off the Galleria in the process.
Compared to Liberty & Union Industrial Park, the Silver City Galleria is farther away from residential neighborhoods and East Taunton Elementary School. It also has the existing infrastructure to accommodate large numbers of people and cars.
Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x609791470/Galleria-property-in-compact-Mashpee-Wampanoag-tribe-says-it-has-no-agreement-to-purchase-mall#ixzz2OGOIERjD
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