When leaders of the Mashpee Wampanoags met with Middleboro's CRAC (Casino Resort Advisory Committee), the leadership indicated that their Mega Monster would be downsized to a bingo hall.
Would someone please tell the Tribe about the SCOTUS Hawaii decision?
LIT? Think not!
Would someone please tell CRAC there are no investors?
Middleboro's CRAC should be re-named to something more appropriate. Jack Healey's Rabbit Hole comes to mind.
Tribe scales back Middleboro casino plans
By George Brennan
STAFF WRITER
October 20, 2009
Tribe leaders have dramatically scaled back plans for a proposed Indian casino in Middleboro.
At a meeting in Middleboro last night, tribe leaders told the Resort Advisory Committee that the casino will be about one-third the size of the $1 billion casino first proposed by the Mashpee Wampanoag and its investors.
The economy has forced the tribe to downsize its plans, tribal council Vice Chairman Aaron Tobey said today. That means starting out with a gambling hall in the first phase and adding a scaled back casino, about 300 rooms, in the second phase, he said.
Original plans had a resort that would rival the Indian mega casinos that rival Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
“Things change,” he said. “All indications are that a $1 billion-plus casino isn't possible. That's just common sense given the state of the economy.”
The tribe has an agreement with Middleboro to pay $7 million per year for hosting the casino and additional revenue from a hotel tax. It's a controversial deal that ripped apart the community with casino opponents saying the town isn't getting enough for hosting a casino.
Other hurdles remain in place for the tribe. They still need a way to put the 539 acres into federal trust and they reached an impasse with their investors that remains unresolved.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment