Mohegan Sun, owner of Palmer site at odds
By Brian HallenbeckPublication: The Day
Published 11/22/2013
Proposed casino site now in dispute
Mohegan Sun has terminated its "exclusivity agreement" with the owner of the Palmer, Mass., land where it hoped to develop a $1 billion resort casino, freeing it to negotiate with potential partners in other casino projects elsewhere in the Bay State.
At the same time, Mohegan Sun's lease of the 152-acre site "remains in full force and effect," the Connecticut casino asserted this week in a letter to Northeast Realty Associates.
Northeast objected to the casino's claims, saying the Mohegans' continued lease of the land would prevent Northeast from making it available to any other developer.
"They want to negotiate with someone else but tie up the land in Palmer," Paul Robbins, a Northeast spokesman, said. "It's like having your cake and eating it, too."
Northeast said it had referred Mohegan's notice to legal counsel.
The Palmer casino proposal was narrowly defeated in a Nov. 5 referendum, prompting a recount of votes set for Tuesday.
"It is unfortunate that Mohegan Sun is abandoning the people of Palmer just days before the recount … so that it can continue to negotiate a possible deal in another locale in Massachusetts," Northeast said. "Mohegan's pursuit of a license in the Eastern Massachusetts zone is at odds with their long-held position that Palmer represents the best location for a resort casino in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It also violated the exclusivity agreement between the parties."
Earlier this week, Palmer Town Councilor Paul Burns questioned whether Mohegan Sun had talked to other parties in Massachusetts prior to the referendum. Kevin Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, responded in a statement, calling Burns' claims "patently false."
"Mohegan Sun and our team in Palmer worked tirelessly over the past five years to bring a world class facility to Palmer and the Commonwealth, invested millions of dollars into this effort, and engaged in a highly transparent process of explaining our project to the community," Brown said.
"Despite the long odds that a recount might bring a different result, we have deliberately stayed the course awaiting the outcome."
http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/311229925/1044
Mohegans considering non-gaming development in Palmer
By Brian HallenbeckPublication: theday.com
At the same time, Mohegan Sun's lease of the 152-acre site "remains in full force and effect," the Connecticut casino asserted this week in a letter to Northeast Realty Associates.
Northeast objected to the casino's claims, saying the Mohegans' continued lease of the land would prevent Northeast from making it available to any other developer.
"They want to negotiate with someone else but tie up the land in Palmer," Paul Robbins, a Northeast spokesman, said. "It's like having your cake and eating it, too."
Northeast said it had referred Mohegan's notice to legal counsel.
The Palmer casino proposal was narrowly defeated in a Nov. 5 referendum, prompting a recount of votes set for Tuesday.
"It is unfortunate that Mohegan Sun is abandoning the people of Palmer just days before the recount … so that it can continue to negotiate a possible deal in another locale in Massachusetts," Northeast said. "Mohegan's pursuit of a license in the Eastern Massachusetts zone is at odds with their long-held position that Palmer represents the best location for a resort casino in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It also violated the exclusivity agreement between the parties."
Earlier this week, Palmer Town Councilor Paul Burns questioned whether Mohegan Sun had talked to other parties in Massachusetts prior to the referendum. Kevin Brown, chairman of the Mohegan Tribal Council, responded in a statement, calling Burns' claims "patently false."
"Mohegan Sun and our team in Palmer worked tirelessly over the past five years to bring a world class facility to Palmer and the Commonwealth, invested millions of dollars into this effort, and engaged in a highly transparent process of explaining our project to the community," Brown said.
"Despite the long odds that a recount might bring a different result, we have deliberately stayed the course awaiting the outcome."
http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/311229925/1044
Mohegans considering non-gaming development in Palmer
By Brian HallenbeckPublication: theday.com
Published 11/22/2013
Mohegan Sun will consider a non-gaming development at the 152-acre site in Palmer, Mass., where it had hoped to develop a $1 billion resort casino, the gaming operator’s top executive said Friday.
“As far as Palmer goes, we’ve invested almost $25 million in the whole process, a lot of it involving the land,” Mitchell Etess, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s chief executive officer, said Friday. “Millions and millions has gone to the landlord. … We believe it’s a good site for development.”
Mohegan Sun signed a 99-year lease on the property in 2008.
Voters in Palmer rejected the casino proposal by 93 votes in a Nov. 5 referendum. A recount sought by Mohegan Sun and supporters of the project is scheduled for Tuesday. It is not expected to change the referendum outcome.
The Mohegan Sun Massachusetts plan included a 70,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor water park, two hotels and 300,000 square feet of retail development. Presumably, those portions of the project still could be pursued at the site, though Etess declined to discuss what the Mohegan Tribe has in mind.
“We could develop something other than gaming there,” Etess said. “It depends. We’ll have to take some time to assess what’s possible. … Everyone in Palmer liked the water park idea.”
Mohegan Sun has informed Northeast Realty Group, the owner of the property, that it was terminating its “exclusivity agreement” with Northeast, freeing the casino operator to negotiate with potential partners involved in other casino projects in Massachusetts.
Mohegan Sun has been in talks with owners of Suffolk Downs, the Boston-area race track hoping to propose a project in Revere.
Northeast Realty is free to pursue another developer of the Palmer site, Etess said, even though Mohegan Sun continues to lease it.
“They’d just have to go through us,” he said of anyone interested in the property.
http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/131129881/1047
Palmer Residents React to Mohegan Sun's Possibly Leaving Town abc40
“As far as Palmer goes, we’ve invested almost $25 million in the whole process, a lot of it involving the land,” Mitchell Etess, the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority’s chief executive officer, said Friday. “Millions and millions has gone to the landlord. … We believe it’s a good site for development.”
Mohegan Sun signed a 99-year lease on the property in 2008.
Voters in Palmer rejected the casino proposal by 93 votes in a Nov. 5 referendum. A recount sought by Mohegan Sun and supporters of the project is scheduled for Tuesday. It is not expected to change the referendum outcome.
The Mohegan Sun Massachusetts plan included a 70,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor water park, two hotels and 300,000 square feet of retail development. Presumably, those portions of the project still could be pursued at the site, though Etess declined to discuss what the Mohegan Tribe has in mind.
“We could develop something other than gaming there,” Etess said. “It depends. We’ll have to take some time to assess what’s possible. … Everyone in Palmer liked the water park idea.”
Mohegan Sun has informed Northeast Realty Group, the owner of the property, that it was terminating its “exclusivity agreement” with Northeast, freeing the casino operator to negotiate with potential partners involved in other casino projects in Massachusetts.
Mohegan Sun has been in talks with owners of Suffolk Downs, the Boston-area race track hoping to propose a project in Revere.
Northeast Realty is free to pursue another developer of the Palmer site, Etess said, even though Mohegan Sun continues to lease it.
“They’d just have to go through us,” he said of anyone interested in the property.
http://www.theday.com/article/20131122/BIZ02/131129881/1047
Palmer Residents React to Mohegan Sun's Possibly Leaving Town abc40
(PALMER,
Mass.) (WGGB)–Mohegan Sun wants out of its exclusive agreement with the town of
Palmer to building a casino. Mohegan Sun had big plans for the ...
Northeast Realty: Mohegan Sun wants to break
exclusive casino ... MassLive.com
PALMER -
Mohegan Sun wants to end its exclusive casino agreement with Northeast
Realty but continue to lease the 152 acres on Thorndike Street (Route 32), ...
Mohegan Sun seeks end to Palmer deal
GazetteNET
In an earlier
statement, Mohegan Sun rebutted suggestions by Palmer casino supporters
that it had negotiated with Suffolk Down prior to the Nov. 5 referendum.
Mohegan Sun Addresses Future Plans for Palmer
Site abc40
PALMER, Mass. (WGGB) — While they may not
build a casino in Palmer, Mohegan Sun has announced their plans
for the land on which they currently hold a ...
Mohegan Sun seeks break of exclusivity in
Palmer WSHM-TV
While Etess did not
confirm Mohegan is pursuing a casino in
the eastern part of the state, he said they are seeking a break in their
exclusivity in Palmer, without ...
Mohegan Sun looks for non-gaming development
in Palmer WSHM-TV
Mohegan Sun announced
it'll explore non-gaming projects at
the site it has leased in Palmer. Suffolk Downs race track near Boston
says it has been in contact ...
Mohegan seeks to end Palmer agreement, keep
land WWLP 22News
Northeast Realty
Associates, owner of the 152 acre parcel in Palmer and site of Mohegan
Sun's proposed resort casino, today issued a statement as a result of ...
Mass. Gov. says casino law working as it should
Businessweek
The vote came on the
heels of rejections of proposed casinos earlier this month by voters in
East Boston and Palmer, and in
September by West Springfield ...
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