"Just like with the current revenues from our casinos, the revenues are going to go to every municipality around the state."
Kevin Brown
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes have taken another step in their quest for a third casino in Connecticut. The two issued a request for proposals, seeking formal bids from towns and landowners who would like to host the facility.
The tribes are working with Pearce Real Estate. Barbara Pearce told a news conference Thursday she’s aiming to make the process as smooth as possible.
"The RFP is very complete, and it contains not only the usual sorts of information you would expect about land, but it actually asks for both the owner of the land and the municipality to sign off on it, so it's submitted by people who we know are interested," Pearce said.
Enfield, East Hartford, and East Windsor have all so far expressed interest in the project. But Mohegan chairman Kevin Brown says the field is still wide open.
"There is ultimately going to be one municipality that’s going to land this license and locate this casino, but wherever it goes this is going to be a win for the entire north central region of Connecticut," Brown told the media. "There’ll be jobs for people all around this region, and then just like with the current revenues from our casinos, the revenues are going to go to every municipality around the state."
The RFP solicits bids by November 6, and the tribes say they’ll make a final decision by December. The tribes hope the new casino will compete with MGM's $800 million casino development in Springfield, slated to open in the fall of 2018.
