Voters Green-Light Wynn's Everett Casino Plan
In a special election that saw a larger turnout than a hotly contested mayoral race, voters in the city of Everett, Massachusetts, came out in droves on Saturday to cast their “yes” votes for a Wynn Casino that is planned for their municipality.
According to news reports, so many Everett residents participated that several polling places were forced to request additional ballots to accommodate all the voters.
87% favor casino plan
For weeks running up to the special election yesterday, the media was already trumpeting Wynn’s victory. Indeed, the results were pretty overwhelmingly positive for the company, which intends to construct a $1.2 billion resort complex on 37 polluted acres along Everett’s waterfront. Eighty-seven percent of voters who turned out to the polls this weekend approved the plan.
Formerly the site of a Monsanto Chemical plant, the Wynn Company’s assurances that the land would be cleaned up was apparently a motivating factor behind many residents’ support for the proposal. Everett, a city just beyond the borders of Boston, has the unfortunate reputation of being a not-so-nice place, something that citizens there hope will change with the prestige – not to mention the revenue – generated by the new Wynn property.
“It’s going to be a huge upgrade to that area,” said Everett local Frank Nuzzo. “Aesthetically, it will go from an industrial area to a resort area.”
Nuzzo belonged to a group known as Everett United, a well-funded citizens group that encouraged fellow citizens to back the casino project. By contrast, opposition to the project was reported to be largely unorganized in addition to being vastly underfunded.
City to receive millions annually
On top of a $30 million initial payment, the Wynn Company cut a deal with the city of Everett that calls for the company to pay the city $25 million annually. Wynn will also help the city address tangential issues related to the casino, including the traffic and crime concerns voiced by a small minority of residents.
Wynn plans to build a 600-room hotel and resort complex, which will be similar to the existing Wynn Resort located in the Asian gaming mecca of Macau. If approved, a similar design will be employed at a planned Pennsylvania Wynn casino.
The company has previously said that they intend to accomplish the construction in one phase, so as to cause as little disruption to “business as usual” in Everett as possible.
Next up for the company is licensing by Massachusetts gaming regulators. Wynn is in competition for the lone Boston-area gambling license with a partnership between Suffolk Downs and Caesars. That group plans to add casino gaming to its East Boston racetrack. Foxwoods Resort also has its hat in the ring.
