MA Casino Developments

SeamusMcFly said:
Watching you post is like listening to free form jazz.
It grabs your attention, but you never really know what's going on, or what's going to come next.
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This is awesomely stated, just a perfect description.
 
I wonder how feasible it would be for them to build a Wonkavator from the casino to Wellington, similar the one that used to run there between the garage and the station, but not obsolete in ten years.
 
Roxxma said:
I wonder how feasible it would be for them to build a Wonkavator from the casino to Wellington, similar the one that used to run there between the garage and the station, but not obsolete in ten years.
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Not very, given that (#1) Assembly, and (#2) Sullivan are the closest crow-flies stations by a healthy bit over Wellington. Assuming there's a ped overpass to Gateway Ctr. (safe assumption), you'd then have to graft that scary-high walkway on top of the Mystic locks to get a relatively brisk 2000 ft. door-to-door walk from the casino to Assembly. But that locks walkway is kinda batshit convoluted and almost certainly not feasible at a height almost as tall as the 360-degree control tower.


So...build the damn Urban Ring?
 
Soil drilling truck on the Wynn site Saturday.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Not very, given that (#1) Assembly, and (#2) Sullivan are the closest crow-flies stations by a healthy bit over Wellington. Assuming there's a ped overpass to Gateway Ctr. (safe assumption), you'd then have to graft that scary-high walkway on top of the Mystic locks to get a relatively brisk 2000 ft. door-to-door walk from the casino to Assembly. But that locks walkway is kinda batshit convoluted and almost certainly not feasible at a height almost as tall as the 360-degree control tower.


So...build the damn Urban Ring?
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Cable Car across the Mystic from Assembly Station? Kind a Casino tourist draw?
 
Arlington said:
I like aerial trams, but if their economics worked for casinos, I'd think we'd have seen more of them by now.
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There are cable cars serving casinos in Athens Greece; Genting Highlands, Malaysia. One was proposed a few months ago for Sydney Australia.
 
F-Line to Dudley said:
Better be well-stocked with plenty of onboard barf bags during those daily early-Spring stiff seabreezes off the open Harbor.

...or a Nor'easter.:rolleyes:
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Pretty sure they see higher winds at the top of Cannon Mountain or Jay Peak. Noreaster would obviously require a shutdown though. YIKES.
 
Somerville sues over Wynn license

Somerville has sued the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to block a casino development near its border, accusing the state panel of breaking the law and abusing its discretion in licensing the Wynn Resorts project in Everett.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court, says the commission should have disqualified Wynn Resorts from the license process over allegations that a convicted felon, Charles Lightbody, had a stake in the Everett land where Wynn intends to build its $1.6 billion casino. The site is across the Mystic River from Somerville’s Assembly Square complex.

“We disagree with the expansion of gaming in general,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, “and with this project, which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of life in Somerville.”

The Gaming Commission, in response, said Somerville’s complaint is similar to allegations “made by others both in litigation and in other settings.”

“The commission continues to believe firmly that its approach to the land transaction was fully in keeping with its statutory and regulatory obligations and fully protected the public interest,” commission spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll said in a statement. “We look forward to a prompt resolution of the complaint.”

Curtatone was a vocal advocate for a Nov. 4 ballot question that would have repealed the state’s 2011 casino law and banned the gambling industry from the state. The repeal measure was overwhelmingly defeated by voters statewide.

The city’s lawsuit asks the court to declare that the commission broke state law in making the award to Wynn, and to vacate the board’s decision.

Wynn Resorts in September won the sole Greater Boston resort casino license, beating a competing project by Mohegan Sun at the Suffolk Downs racetrack in Revere. The commission’s choice of Wynn came after months of exhaustive review and analysis of both proposals.

Revere in October filed a lawsuit challenging the commission’s decision, stating that the panel had “acted arbitrarily and capriciously,’’ and “gave Wynn unequal (and better) treatment than other gaming applicants.’’ The Revere lawsuit also charges that commissioners violated the Open Meeting Law during their deliberations.

The commission has denied Revere’s accusations.

Since Wynn won the license, three men connected to the Everett property were indicted for allegedly trying to hide that Lightbody had an undisclosed ownership stake in the land. The commission has known about Lightbody’s alleged involvement in the Everett property for more than a year. In December 2013, the commission approved a plan by Wynn to slash the price the company would pay for the land in order to deny any possible secret partners a premium price for the real estate. Investigators have said they found no evidence that Wynn officials knew about any hidden ownership.

Somerville’s suit says state law prohibits unsuitable people from being licensed as vendors for the casino industry.

“No felon may profit from a casino license,” Curtatone said.

The commission, however, has concluded that parties in a real estate transaction “are not gaming vendors or nongaming vendors and thus are not subject to the vendor licensing requirement,” according to an October analysis by the commission’s general counsel.

Curtatone’s administration has battled with Wynn Resorts in the past. The city and the casino developer were unable to negotiate a compensation agreement for the city, as a “surrounding community.” The dispute went to arbitration, under the commission’s regulations.

Wynn won the arbitration, and Somerville’s annual compensation package was set at about $650,000. The city had asked for more.

A Wynn Resorts spokesman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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Boston Globe
 
“We disagree with the expansion of gaming in general,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, “and with this project, which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of life in Somerville.”

I'm not crazy about this mayor but this statement is a fact---That the quality of life will change for Somerville and I don't believe it will be positive.
 
TheRifleman said:
“We disagree with the expansion of gaming in general,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, “and with this project, which will have a detrimental effect on the quality of life in Somerville.”

I'm not crazy about this mayor but this statement is a fact---That the quality of life will change for Somerville and I don't believe it will be positive.
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Okay, but we had a vote on that question. The rest of the state pretty clearly voted for the interests of host communities like Everett over those of neighbor communities like Somerville. The issue is closed.
 
Equilibria said:
Okay, but we had a vote on that question. The rest of the state pretty clearly voted for the interests of host communities like Everett over those of neighbor communities like Somerville. The issue is closed.
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Agree-- But you can't blame the guy for trying. Somerville has come a long way since the 70's. Only a bunch of Political fuckups could actually justify building a casino in an area that is growing in success overtime.
 
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It's his job to use whatever leverage he has to make the deal as good for Somerville as possible. Can't begrudge him doing that. And the truth is, Everett voters said yes, but this casino will also have a significant impact on Boston and Somerville.
 
It's cases like this where our hyper-local governance leads to skewed outcomes. The placement of this casino means that it will effect Charlestown and Somerville just as much as Everett, if not more, but they have less of a say that Everett. I don't oppose this casino, but it's certainly within Curtatone's rights to bring forth a suit.
 
BussesAin'tTrains said:
It's cases like this where our hyper-local governance leads to skewed outcomes. The placement of this casino means that it will effect Charlestown and Somerville just as much as Everett, if not more, but they have less of a say that Everett. I don't oppose this casino, but it's certainly within Curtatone's rights to bring forth a suit.
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Charlestown and Somerville? Try the entire surrounding areas coming in from Route 93 trying to get to work in Boston.

Everybody around the area will be affected by this location-
 
TheRifleman said:
Charlestown and Somerville? Try the entire surrounding areas coming in from Route 93 trying to get to work in Boston.

Everybody around the area will be affected by this location-
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People aren't going to be rushing to Casino during the morning commute. I don't know how many times that's been explained to you.
 
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