At the site of the future MGM casino in Springfield’s South End, groundbreaking has come and gone. That event symbolized the beginning of a new chapter for Springfield. This thing is really happening. And between now and July 2017, construction on this massive project will impact downtown in ways no one can fully foresee.
So we thought we’d keep an eye on things in a new section called Casino Tracker. This digest will be shorter on some weeks than others. But when a construction project costs $800 million, calls for demolishing 19 buildings across 14.5 acres, and signifies the beginning of “a rebirth of the once-thriving urban center of Western Massachusetts,” according to MGM CEO Jim Murren, there is always news to report.
Here are the greatest hits on our casino playlist this week:
Wrecking Ball: MGM is still working with the Massachusetts Historical Commission to finalize and sign a memorandum of agreement that details the company’s plans for buildings of historical significance within the footprint of the casino. MGM currently plans to leave only one standing: the former Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance building on the corner of State and Main Streets, which will be used for the casino’s administrative offices. MGM will save portions of four other buildings; the rest are scheduled to be rubble by December.
Ease on Down the Road: Plans to demolish the State Building at 95 State St. means that Springfield’s Department of Health and Human Services is being evicted on June 1. On April 21, the city announced that the offices for those 31 employees will be moved into the Colonial Building at 1145 Main St. just around the corner. The rent for the new space, which is higher than in the old space, will cost the city an additional $37,695 per year. Mayor Domenic Sarno has stated that finding available space within existing city buildings was not feasible.
No Particular Place to Go: Nonprofits, law firms, and family-owned shops alike have closed or relocated to make way for MGM, but one business on the outer orbit of downtown has been riding the waves in relative silence: Robbie’s Repair, located next to the I-91 overpass at 1357 East Columbus Ave. On April 27, the car repair shop’s owner Robert Ober went before City Council to request a special permit to relocate his business. It remains to be seen where, exactly, Robbie’s Repair will resettle.
South of the Border: Anthony W. Ravosa Jr., a former Springfield City Councilor, is seeking approval for a new casino in East Hartford, CT, on the Showcase Cinemas property along Interstate 84. The $138 million project would include several restaurants and bars, a dance club, and between one and two thousand gaming machines. Ravosa, who was involved in an attempt to bring a Hard Rock casino to Holyoke in 2013, is currently assembling a team of partners for this new proposal, which would be located 25 miles south of Springfield. The Connecticut Legislature is considering ways to protect the state’s casino revenues, which will likely include a new partnership between Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort to build up to three new casinos.
Do New England states face a casino arms race? Time will tell. Until then, let us know where you think the chips will fall. Send your predictions to hstyles@valleyadvocate.com.
