Anti-casino group No Eastie Casino demands answers from Suffolk Downs
By
on October 21, 2013
BOSTON -- Now that Caesars Entertainment is out of the race to operate the proposed East Boston casino, anti-casino group No Eastie Casino is demanding that the Boston horse racing track Suffolk Downs provide answers to questions regarding the withdrawal of its gaming license application. Caesars was dropped as a casino contender as the result of a not yet public Massachusetts Gaming Commission report that raised several red flags, "including a business relationship with a person alleged to have family members involved in organized crime outside the United States," reported the Boston Globe.
In a scathing letter to Sterling Suffolk Racecourse on Monday, No Eastie Casino criticized the organization for its support of Caesars, referencing comments Suffolk Downs owner Joseph O'Donnell made at an August press conference lauding Caesars.
"Despite Caesars' well-known problems... O'Donnell publicly stated at an August 29th press conference that Caesars was 'as professional as they come' and that 'I can't think of a better organization,'" wrote Matt Cameron, Jessica Curtis and Celeste Ribeiro Myers of No Eastie Casino.
"We are disappointed that a formal finding and notice from the Commission that the license application was in immediate jeopardy was required for Suffolk Downs to reach the inevitable conclusion that Caesars was a toxic and untenable partner," the letter continued.
The group is demanding that Suffolk Downs answer a number of questions in light of recent events with Caesars, claiming that the Host Community Agreement (HCA) previously provided by Suffolk Downs provides information that is specific to Caesars as the operator of the casino. For example, No Eastie Casino claims that estimates of the number of jobs, employee benefits and other employment opportunities "is directly linked to a business plan developed in partnership with Caesars."
The group also asks questions regarding revenue projections, payments to the city, benefits to small businesses and the Vornado reality trust.
When asked about the letter, MassLive was sent the following statement by Suffolk Downs Chief Operating Officer Chip Tuttle: "We look forward to the next phases of the public process to bring fruition our proposal to develop a world class destination resort casino on our 161 acre property that will be an economic generator for our two host communities of Boston and Revere. Given our premier location in an attractive market, there is a strong interest from a number of potential gaming partners, the names of whom we are not making public at this time."
The proposed deadline for these answers is the end of the day Wednesday, Oct. 23. The vote on the proposed East Boston casino is scheduled for Nov. 5.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment