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Welcome to www.TheReminder.com archive for past articles!/Local News/Greater Springfield/Holyoke out again of casinos, Eastern States dives in
Holyoke out again of casinos, Eastern States dives inDate: 12/19/2012 By G. Michael Dobbs and Carley Dangona
news@thereminder.com
It was another roller coaster week for the casino story with Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse reverting to his previous anti-casino stance, Springfield firefighters and police officers taking a stand and Eastern States Exposition (ESE) dropping a bomb that it is interested in pursuing a partnership with Hard Rock International.
Here is how the events unfolded day by day:
Dec. 12: In the continuing effort to win the hearts and minds of voters in Springfield, MGM Resorts International raised the ante with a pair of endorsements from the unions representing the rank and file of the Police and Fire departments last week.
David Wells, president of the Springfield Association of Firefighters, and Joseph Gentile, president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, Local 364, appeared with MGM President and CEO James Murren in making the announcement.
Gentile admitted that he and other police union officials did not reach out to Penn National Gaming as part of their decision-making process. He said that MGM management approached the two unions and spoke with them.
Bill Hornbuckle, MGM's chief marketing officer and president of MGM Springfield, said there was no donation made to either union as part of the endorsement process. Instead he said that MGM would "put significant pressure and funding to make public safety [in Springfield] a priority."
Murren said the company "works early and often to establish those relationships [with Fire and Police departments]."
Gentile said the MGM proposal impressed union members with its "state of the art security technology." He said the plan for a casino complex in the South End "will also turn the lights back on in a neighborhood that has been hard-hit."
Wells said, "If we are truly interested in maximizing revenue and economic growth to fund essential city services and help revive this city, we must support the company that will attract the most tourists, businesses and residents back to Springfield. As the only true world-class brand looking to call Springfield home, we believe MGM is the one that can make this happen."
When Gentile was asked about reported organized crime connections to MGM, he said he did not have enough information to answer the question.
Murren then explained the New Jersey Gaming Commission had investigated several partners in the casino MGM operates in Macao and found them "unsuitable partners" if MGM was to operate in New Jersey.
"There was no finding against us," Murren said. He added the company was given several options and elected to take the one that allowed them to leave New Jersey. He emphasized that no other state gaming commission had issues with the Macao operation, which has changed since the time of the inquiry in New Jersey with MGM becoming the majority owners and Murren the chairman of its board.
When asked if other unions would be coming forth with endorsements, Hornbuckle said the company "always has been union friendly" and has agreements with the building trades and carpenters unions.
Dec. 13: Mayor Alex Morse shocked residents in Holyoke and the two casino developers with whom he was working by announcing that he was reverting to his previous position and was now blocking a potential casino in Holyoke.
The developers first received a message about the turnaround, which was then followed by a statement to the press.
Morse, however, was still planning to meet with other mayors and town administrators on Dec. 17 to discuss the regional impact of a casino.
Morse told Reminder Publications he is still going to pursue a designation of a surrounding community if a casino is licensed locally.
He said he had done "much soul searching" after his announcement to pursue a casino and he had listened to the "resounding noise" from his supporters who "wanted to me get back on track."
"I think I've done my job in the last several weeks," he said of looking into casino development rather than dismissing it. He added, "I feel better about this decision."
Morse was returning the two $25,000 grants paid by Eric Suher and Paper City Development LLC that was to fund the application process.
In his statement, he wrote, "Our city cannot afford to be diverted by this conversation. At a time when our community needs unity of purpose, a yearlong debate over locating a casino within our borders will only sow division and discord. In retrospect, I should have foreseen this sort of division and I apologize for introducing it. Initiating this process was a mistake and I accept that responsibility."
Morse said that he would now "re-engage my supporters" by following the plans detailed during his campaign.
Dec. 13: The management of the ESE released a statement that it is investigating if a nonprofit could partner with a casino developer, in this case Hard Rock International. When reached several hours after the announcement, West Springfield Mayor Gregory Neffinger said he had not been informed prior to the announcement.
In his statement Eugene Cassidy, president and CEO of ESE, said, "We have in recent weeks embarked on an investigation as to whether or not it would be feasible for the ESE, as a nonprofit organization, to pursue the concept of citing a regional resort entertainment destination casino on our grounds, that would benefit the entire Western Massachusetts region. We are enthusiastically exploring all of our options, and may have a major announcement in the near future."
Dec. 14: At a press conference the next day, Neffinger stated he is "neither for nor against" a casino in West Springfield, but he "welcomes developers."
Neffinger said, "People from all over the country have contacted me regarding this possibility, but I have no proposals before me."
He remained mum about exactly who has contacted him, but did say having a casino in town is a better option than being adjacent to one, because the town would directly handle the decisions regarding the impact to its infrastructure.
Neffinger added, "None of their plans have been very well developed, I thought," when asked his opinion of proposals made for a Springfield casino by MGM Resorts International, Penn National and Ameristar Casinos Inc.
"We would like to see something that would benefit all the surrounding communities," Neffinger added. For him, an important aspect of a casino proposal is for a developer to explain how their project will positively affect the community.
While no proposals have been officially drafted for West Springfield, the mayor expects that seriously interested developers will act within the next 30 days since they are working against a Jan. 15, 2013 deadline.
"It's an exciting economic development opportunity," Town Councilor Brian Griffin said. "No formal presentation has been made to the Town Council. We have been studying the impact of a casino [in Springfield] — now the impact would be greater — we've been working on the issue regardless."
He continued, "Our duty is to make sure the best interests of the residents and other businesses are protected. We need to make sure all questions are answered. We have to assess the negatives and weigh the benefits. Time will tell if a casino is good or bad for the town."
Griffin also commented on the issue of traffic. He stated that Cassidy and ESE Board Chair Don Chase have confirmed that traffic and engineering studies are underway.
"We need to be reactionary through engineering studies to ensure access and egress would not be inhibited to our town. A developer needs to understand that they need to become part of our community," Griffin said.
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