Connecticut’s two gaming tribes, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe are getting nibbles on the request for proposals that they released late last month for communities interested in hosting a third (satellite) casino near the Massachusetts state line.
The tribes, which operate the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, have issued the RFP through a joint entity called MMCT Venture.
Last week the East Hartford city council voted 7-1 to forward a request form a developer to convert a vacant cinema, the former Showcase Cinemas, in a shopworn mall into a casino.
“We owe it to the people in East Hartford to do our due diligence, then make a decision on this,” declared council Chairman Richard Kehoe. “This is effectively just the first step and a signal that says, yes, we are interested.”
The idea appears to be unpopular with the general public. Five people who spoke during the council meeting all opposed a casino.
In the meeting following its 7-1 vote the council voted to authorize the mayor Marcia Leclerc, to submit the town’s proposal.
Some council members have expressed doubts about the RFP process, complaining that it doesn’t provide enough details. But in the end that only prevented one council member from voting yes.
A tribal spokesman responded to that criticism by stating: “The RFP is designed to draw a wide array of proposals. Putting out specific guidelines runs contrary to that goal because it would automatically rule out some sites.”
The cinema to casino proposal is the initiative of developer Anthony W. Ravosa Jr., one of the principals of Silver Lane Partners LLC, which owns the mall. Several week ago he made a pitch for his proposal to the city council. The cinema opened in 1973 and closed seven years ago.
After the meetings Ravosa declared, “Town officials led by Mayor Leclerc continue to be absolutely fantastic to work with in pursuit of this opportunity.” He added, “I’m deeply appreciative of the Council’s action and the big step forward taken this evening.”
East Windsor and Windsor Locks are also interested, although they haven’t yet responded to the RFP. They have until November 6 to do so. The tribes plan to choose a site by the end of the year. Once that happens they will ask the legislature to approve of the site.
The Windsor Locks proposal would be to site the casino at Bradley International Airport, a proposal that the Connecticut Airport Authority supports. The Authority proposes a casino with 2,000 slots and as many as 150 gaming tables. It would be located at either the lower floors of a new planned terminal or at the top of a new transportation center that will be built in 2017 to house rental car agencies and bus transfers. The Authority views the casino as an amenity for travelers and a source of revenue for the airport.
According to Kevin Dillon, the authority’s executive director, who was interviewed by the Republican, “The airport represents a very viable location because of its significant levels of passenger traffic, and the CAA believes a casino can be incorporated into improvements that are being advanced for the terminal campus area.”
The airport authority has contacted the Windsor Locks city council about its proposal, but so far the council has not scheduled any hearings.
Windsor Locks First Selectman Steven Wawruck Jr. said he is interested in the discussing the idea. “With shrinking state revenues and jobs on the decline, it’s important to explore all opportunities and keep dollars and jobs in Connecticut,” he said. The council invited Dillon to make a presentation to the council this week.
The city of Enfield has also expressed an interest, but last week Enfield Mayor Scott Kaupin said his city was unlikely to meet the deadline.
The satellite casino is aimed at preventing the MGM Springfield from draining off the state’s gaming revenue. This is why the casino would be located as close to the border as possible, aiming the Greater Hartford area, which has about 1.2 million residents. The size of the casino is expected to be between 150,000 to 350,000 square feet, with 2,000 slot machines.
MGM Resorts has sued the state in federal court to stop this process from going forward, claiming that it violates the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution because only the two tribes are allowed to operate the casino.
