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Owners of Suffolk Downs propose full scale casino

Posted on July 8th, 2010

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“We wanted a concept consistent with the traditions of New England, the character of the area, and our 75-year legacy as a racetrack.” These are the words of Richard Fields, principal owner of the Suffolk Downs referring to the proposals they laid out to turn Suffolk Downs into a full scale resort and casino. The proposal made was for a casino with high end retail shops, dining restaurants, over 200 table games and 5,000 slot machines. Further plans of construction includes a hotel with as many as 600 rooms for accommodations, fitness gym, spa and more upscale restaurants and shops. However, unlike Vegas style casinos full of lights and glitz, the envisioned Suffolk Downs entertainment complex will be more modest in size and extravagance as compared neighboring Indian casinos on Connecticut. The owners of Suffolk say they are going for the architectural design of the Revera Beach built in 1900s.

The Suffolk Downs project will only be one of the several casino proposals expected to be given license by state lawmakers. Similar proposal have been made for Palmer, Milford and New Bedford and even 2 Wampanoag casinos are being planned to be opened in Fall River. The only difference would be the fact that Suffolk Downs is backed up by very influential supporters, ensuring the proposal’s likely approval. Suffolk Downs is under the district of House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who is known to be a strong supporter of the approved casino bill that was also proposed earlier this year on the state. The Speaker’s father himself worked on the track.

Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston also supports Suffolk Downs getting the license. The Mayor also wants to assure that the Suffolk Downs project is completed according to its original plan. “We need a full destination resort.’’ Menino said. “I think it will bring people into the city. It will create more jobs,’ Investors are willing to invest as much as $600 million, or even more for the project according to Suffolk Down Chief Operating Office Chip Tuttle. A projected number of 2,000 construction workers and 2,250 permanent employees are to be taken in once the license is given to this project.

However, the officials of the track are also coming up with alternatives, in case the licensing do not come out successfully. Among which includes the purchasing of Wonderland Greyhound Park to combine the allowed slots of the park with that of Suffolk’s in the event that a slots-only license will be given to the project. Wonderland faces a possible closing of its dog races since the people of Massachusetts have banned dog racing two years ago. Tuttle clarifies however that their main goal is still to get a casino license. “Our objective is to do a full resort’’ he said.

Boston College Economist Richard Mcgowan also believes that with Suffolk Down’s prime spot in the city, the project is sure to get the nod it needs. “They’ve got everything going for them. They have the local politicians going for them, they have the money and the plans, and they’ve got the location going for them” Mcgowan said. Even the opposition group Neighbors of Suffolk Downs’ leader John Ribiero sees the casino project a done deal. “Everywhere I turn, people say it is coming, I think they’ve underestimated the other folks who haven’t been exposed to the negative impacts.” said Ribiero. His group opposes the project because of the possible economic hits it imposes on other local merchants.

Gambling researcher Robert Goodman also questions the state’s motivation in allowing the casino project, he thinks that the state is wrong in saying that gaming facilities will increase the state’s revenue. Goodman believes that players will use the money they are to spend on other commodities and gamble it instead, harming the earnings of local businesses. “More money is going to be sucked out of the local economy,” Goodman said. No serious economic impact analysis has been done in Massachusetts”. Efforts are being made on the side of Suffolk’s owners as they have been meeting with surrounding neighborhoods to discuss measures to improve local transportation. “ We have heard loud and clear from our neighbors over the last several years — East Boston, Revere, Winthrop, and Chelsea — that they have concerns about traffic, they are concerned about public safety” said Tuttle. We are going to have a comprehensive, transparent community input process, so if we do this, it works for the community.’’