Here are our greatest hits on the casino playlist this week:
Writing’s on the Wall: If you drive fast down I-91 and squint, you can see construction crews hard at work at the casino site. Take a second look, though, and you’ll notice that the giant workers, posed triumphantly atop a pile of dirt, are on a billboard — one of three that MGM has put up to give Springfield something to look at while the company works on designs, seeks permits, and plans ahead for demolition beginning this winter. Not much of that process is visible to the public, but at least we know they’re “Working Hard,” “Moving Forward,” and “Building Excitement.”
You’re History: On Nov. 4, Mayor Sarno’s office sent letters of dismissal to three of the six members of Springfield’s Historical Commission: Marjorie Guess, Robert McCarroll, and chairman Ralph Slate — the three commissioners who declined, after many months of negotiations, to vote yes on MGM’s casino proposal. The mayor’s office has said that this turnover is routine and has nothing to do with the casino. And it’s true that commissioners serving expired terms can be replaced — but only once successors are “duly appointed and qualified,” according to state law. McCarroll told the Advocate that “replacing us since our terms have expired is a mayoral prerogative,” but wishes the mayor would “spare us the spurious reasons.”
I Can See Clearly Now: Last month, MGM proposed removing the 25-story hotel tower and reducing the square footage of the casino by 14 percent. If you have any questions about how this will affect construction, timelines, investment, and attendance, feel free to bring them to MGM’s public presentation at CityStage at 4 p.m. on Nov. 18. Just one caveat: there will be no question and answer session. “This meeting is to provide MGM with a forum to better explain the proposed changes and also allow the Mayor’s internal team and consultants the opportunity to ask questions to better understand the proposed project changes,” said the city’s chief development officer Kevin Kennedy in a news release. Say what you will about shrinking blueprints and lost hotel floors — at least we still invest in window dressing.•
Are there any more surprises in store for Springfield? Send your opinions to hstyles@valleyadvocate.com.
