The city of Springfield, Massachusetts has adopted the first phase of a master plan for the Main Street corridor that runs near the MGM Springfield casino. The plan’s purpose is to revive the downtown area.
According to the city’s chief development officer, Timothy Sheehan, the plan, which was developed in cooperation with MGM, “to provide a roadmap and strategies to guide near, mid and long term potential.” He said the plan is “critically important” in letting developers and investors know what the city would like to see on Main Street.
When the city approved of the $960 million MGM Springfield, the expectation was that it would help spur redevelopment in the downtown area. Since its 2018 opening that expectation hasn’t yet caused the “catalytic economic development and vibrancy outside the confines of the casino district,” that plan calls for.
The first phase of the plan calls for “leveraging the energy of MGM Springfield and its plaza by extending it out to Main Street,” encouraging street level business such as retail, dining and entertainment. It would also improve infrastructure and “assist, control or acquire” “languishing” properties. It would also seek to revive the MassMutual Center.
The city will also be applying for $5 million in federal loan guarantees to “jump start the redevelopment of priority parcels” according to the plan.
In related news, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission has agreed to bring back blackjack and craps to the MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor casinos in response to declining numbers of infections from Covid-19. It was acting on a request by the two casinos, who said it will increase customer participation and allow them to bring back some employees.
The panel voted 3-1 to bring back blackjack and 4-0 to bring back craps.
MGC Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein told MassLive: “There is a lot of comfort in knowing that our enforcement measures are heightened… and we will continue to rely on the compliance efforts of the two licensees here.”
Blackjack games will continue to have clear plastic partitions but will be allowed four players—up from three—and three feet of social distancing between players.
Craps will be returning for the first time in a year. Six players maximum will be allowed, with partitions between players and dealer. Four feet of distancing will be required. Dice will be sanitized and no non-players will be allowed to congregate around the action.
