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Time Expires On Ballot Question About MGM Casino Changes

MGM's new design for the Springfield casino, depicted in this artist's drawing, omits a 25-story hotel that was a centerpiece of the project since 2013.
MGMSpringfield
MGM's new design for the Springfield casino, depicted in this artist's drawing, omits a 25-story hotel that was a centerpiece of the project since 2013.
MGM's new design for the Springfield casino, depicted in this artist's drawing, omits a 25-story hotel that was a centerpiece of the project since 2013.
Credit MGMSpringfield
MGM is blaming skyrocketing construction costs for a decision to eliminate a 25-story hotel tower from the $800 million Springfield casino. A drawing of the new casino plan shows a six-story hotel spread along several blocks of Main St.

There will be no voter referendum on the controversial changes proposed in the design of the MGM Springfield casino.

Springfield City Council President Mike Fenton, who had hoped to put a non-binding question on the municipal election ballot to gauge public opinion on MGM’s plan to eliminate the high-rise hotel from the casino project, withdrew his resolution.

" We ran out of time," said Fenton.  " I think it is unfortunate because I believe it deserved further review and consideration."

Fenton said he was up against a midnight Tuesday deadline for placing a question on the November 3rd ballot and could not secure the votes he needed in time.

MGM officials briefed the city council Tuesday night on the new plans for the casino.  They said the decision to drop the 25-story glass façade hotel from the project was made because of rising construction costs that threaten the budget for the $800 million development.  The new plan calls for a six-story hotel, but with the same number of rooms – 250 -- as the tower was to have.

MGM indicated it will seek formal approval for the changes from the city council in mid-November.    Fenton said the public will have ample opportunity to comment before the council votes.

The council voted to send to committee an order to remove Jersey Barriers that are erected around the casino construction site along Main and State Streets.  Businesses in the area say they’re being harmed by a loss of on-street parking spaces and a reduction in foot traffic.

Robbie Gossman, owner of McCaffrey’s Public House on Main Street, said business at his restaurant and bar is off 25 percent and he’s been forced to lay off six people. He blames it on the loss of parking spaces on heavily traveled Main and State Streets.

" It was basically the only safe parking we had downtown and now it is completely gone," said Gossman.

Caring Health Center, which spent $20 million two years ago to expand its clinic on Main Street, is also caught in the parking squeeze.  Health center executive vice president Jasmine Naylor said they are losing patients because of the shortage of on-street parking and the closing of three parking lots due to the casino project.

" Parking is their main concern," Naylor said about the patients who have informed Caring Health of their plans to seek medical care elsewhere.

Springfield DPW chief Chris Cignoli said the city installed the Jersey Barriers several months ago to control vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the casino work zone out of concern for public safety.

" Construction projects where you have the most problems are where everything is different everyday. So, what we wanted to do here is put up the barriers and leave them so everybody can get used to it, move around, and find the parking they need," said Cignoli.

To the casual observer it does not appear there is much work being done on the casino project, but Cignoli said that is not the case.

" There has been a lot of work going on. We've issued over 62 permits for all sorts of utility work," said Cignoli.

MGM plans to build a parking garage with free parking even for non-casino patrons.  A spokesperson said MGM would work with the area businesses to try to find an interim solution to the parking issues.

Copyright 2015 WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Paul Tuthill is WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief. He’s been covering news, everything from politics and government corruption to natural disasters and the arts, in western Massachusetts since 2007. Before joining WAMC, Paul was a reporter and anchor at WRKO in Boston. He was news director for more than a decade at WTAG in Worcester. Paul has won more than two dozen Associated Press Broadcast Awards. He won an Edward R. Murrow award for reporting on veterans’ healthcare for WAMC in 2011. Born and raised in western New York, Paul did his first radio reporting while he was a student at the University of Rochester.

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