With Hard Rock's Bid Rejected, MGM, Mohegan Sun Square Off
The Hartford Courant
6:54 p.m. EDT, September 11, 2013
The competition for a resort casino in Western Massachusetts has dropped to two competitors, narrowing the field and offering a stark contrast between an urban and rural gambling environment.
The suburban option — Hard Rock International's proposal for an $800 million casino, hotel and live-entertainment venue — was rejected Tuesday by West Springfield voters, 55 percent to 45 percent.
"It's one less horse in the race," said Jennifer Baruffaldi, a member of Citizens for Jobs and Growth in Palmer, Mass. [An organization that doesn't seem to be registered with anyone.] "I was very happy about it."
Baruffaldi and her organization support Mohegan Sun's proposal to build a $1 billion resort casino and adventure water park in Palmer.
People in Palmer who oppose the plan, however, feel differently. Iris Cardin of Palmer doesn't want a casino anywhere — Palmer or Springfield.
"I don't wish this on my adversary," Cardin said.
Mohegan wants to build on a sprawling, wooded area in a town with fewer than 13,000 residents off the Massachusetts Turnpike. MGM would build in the dense downtown of Springfield, right off I-91.
Neither MGM Resorts International nor Mohegan Sun on Wednesday would say directly that it is pleased to have one less competitor in the pursuit of the sole license to operate a resort style casino in Western Massachusetts. Instead, each spoke about the strengths of its plan.
"We are confident that our nearly $1 billion resort casino proposal, which will bring thousands of new jobs and economic development to Palmer and the region, represents the best choice for Western Massachusetts," Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess said in a prepared statement.
MGM spokeswoman Carole Brennan said via e-mail: "MGM Resorts feels strongly that our unique world-class urban proposal is the best economic driver for the region. We came into this process knowing we had to set a very high bar because of the caliber of competitors. Competition makes us all better; and MGM has had its fair share throughout the municipal and state processes."
Massachusetts' state legislation passed in 2011 allowed three gambling resorts in different regions of the state. State law requires casino developers to have a signed agreement with the towns where they would build and also a vote of approval from residents.
Springfield residents approved MGM's proposal during a July vote, 58 percent to 42 percent.
"In terms of the region, in terms of the tie-ins, it's a world-class resort casino," said Jim Leydon, a spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. "It's something they've never done before. You can visit the complex without ever actually going onto the gaming floor. … You can walk into any of the other amenities, shopping, or a skating rink. … It's cutting edge. It's never been done in an urban setting before."
Palmer residents are slated to vote on Nov. 5. If Palmer residents approve the project, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will decide whether Mohegan Sun or MGM is a better attraction for the state.
Separately, a collection of anti-casino groups will start collecting at least the 68,000 required signatures to put a statewide referendum on a ballot in November 2014 calling for a reversal of the 2011 legislation that allowed casinos, said EmmaLadd Shepherd of Quabog Valley Against Casinos.
Last week, state Attorney General Martha M. Coakley rejected a proposed ballot question for 2014, according to news reports. The anti-casino groups are working on an appeal process that would seek a decision from the state Supreme Judicial Court, Shepherd said.
Mohegan Sun has been building support for its pitch in Palmer for four years. Residents in the town supported a similar casino pitch in 1997. And the plan has its supporters in town government.
"We were the first community to be looking at a casino in Western Mass.," said Palmer Town Council member Paul E. Burns. "Really, we led the charge in terms of ensuring there was a Western Mass. casino in the legislation."
He believes Mohegan has had the best plan all along, but it's undeniably easier to compete with one rival plan instead of two.
"Now that the field has narrowed to two, I think it makes Palmer a much stronger contender because of their stark contrast between the urban setting and a rural setting," Burns said.
http://www.ctnow.com/business/hc-mohegan-mgm-hard-rock-20130911,0,2980193.story
The suburban option — Hard Rock International's proposal for an $800 million casino, hotel and live-entertainment venue — was rejected Tuesday by West Springfield voters, 55 percent to 45 percent.
"It's one less horse in the race," said Jennifer Baruffaldi, a member of Citizens for Jobs and Growth in Palmer, Mass. [An organization that doesn't seem to be registered with anyone.] "I was very happy about it."
Baruffaldi and her organization support Mohegan Sun's proposal to build a $1 billion resort casino and adventure water park in Palmer.
People in Palmer who oppose the plan, however, feel differently. Iris Cardin of Palmer doesn't want a casino anywhere — Palmer or Springfield.
"I don't wish this on my adversary," Cardin said.
Mohegan wants to build on a sprawling, wooded area in a town with fewer than 13,000 residents off the Massachusetts Turnpike. MGM would build in the dense downtown of Springfield, right off I-91.
Neither MGM Resorts International nor Mohegan Sun on Wednesday would say directly that it is pleased to have one less competitor in the pursuit of the sole license to operate a resort style casino in Western Massachusetts. Instead, each spoke about the strengths of its plan.
"We are confident that our nearly $1 billion resort casino proposal, which will bring thousands of new jobs and economic development to Palmer and the region, represents the best choice for Western Massachusetts," Mohegan Sun CEO Mitchell Etess said in a prepared statement.
MGM spokeswoman Carole Brennan said via e-mail: "MGM Resorts feels strongly that our unique world-class urban proposal is the best economic driver for the region. We came into this process knowing we had to set a very high bar because of the caliber of competitors. Competition makes us all better; and MGM has had its fair share throughout the municipal and state processes."
Massachusetts' state legislation passed in 2011 allowed three gambling resorts in different regions of the state. State law requires casino developers to have a signed agreement with the towns where they would build and also a vote of approval from residents.
Springfield residents approved MGM's proposal during a July vote, 58 percent to 42 percent.
"In terms of the region, in terms of the tie-ins, it's a world-class resort casino," said Jim Leydon, a spokesman for Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno. "It's something they've never done before. You can visit the complex without ever actually going onto the gaming floor. … You can walk into any of the other amenities, shopping, or a skating rink. … It's cutting edge. It's never been done in an urban setting before."
Palmer residents are slated to vote on Nov. 5. If Palmer residents approve the project, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will decide whether Mohegan Sun or MGM is a better attraction for the state.
Separately, a collection of anti-casino groups will start collecting at least the 68,000 required signatures to put a statewide referendum on a ballot in November 2014 calling for a reversal of the 2011 legislation that allowed casinos, said EmmaLadd Shepherd of Quabog Valley Against Casinos.
Last week, state Attorney General Martha M. Coakley rejected a proposed ballot question for 2014, according to news reports. The anti-casino groups are working on an appeal process that would seek a decision from the state Supreme Judicial Court, Shepherd said.
Mohegan Sun has been building support for its pitch in Palmer for four years. Residents in the town supported a similar casino pitch in 1997. And the plan has its supporters in town government.
"We were the first community to be looking at a casino in Western Mass.," said Palmer Town Council member Paul E. Burns. "Really, we led the charge in terms of ensuring there was a Western Mass. casino in the legislation."
He believes Mohegan has had the best plan all along, but it's undeniably easier to compete with one rival plan instead of two.
"Now that the field has narrowed to two, I think it makes Palmer a much stronger contender because of their stark contrast between the urban setting and a rural setting," Burns said.
http://www.ctnow.com/business/hc-mohegan-mgm-hard-rock-20130911,0,2980193.story
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