The MGM Resorts International officials say their campaign for a Springfield casino is focused on getting out both a strong turnout and strong margin of victory on the July 16 ballot. Watch video
SPRINGFIELD – Top executives with MGM Resorts International said Tuesday the company is waging an extensive, accelerated campaign for Springfield’s support for its casino project, with a ballot vote just four weeks away, July 16, and they are taking nothing for granted.
William Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts president and chief marketing officer, and other top company officials, outlined their ongoing campaign and casino project highlights during a meeting with the editorial board at The Republican.
“We have an extensive campaign,” Hornbuckle said. “That will continue with velocity leading up to July 16. Again, we are not going to take anything for granted.”
MGM has been pursuing its proposed $800 million project in the South End-downtown district for approximately 18 months, including more than 400 meetings with “stake-holders” in Springfield ranging from “massive rallies to talking to people in their living rooms,” Hornbuckle said.
“We think we have a very good answer for Springfield and ultimately for Western Mass.,” Hornbuckle said. “We think we have a winning program and an idea that hopefully, truly brings economic development back to the community, back to the city.”
The campaign includes door-to-door canvassing for support, telephone calls, media advertising, lawn signs and bumper stickers, continued meetings and events in the community, and helping people in need of voter registration forms, said Hornbuckle, and Michael Mathis, MGM’s vice-president of global development. The deadline for registering to vote is June 26.
The effort is “polling very positively,” Hornbuckle said.
The first challenge is to get the voters out to the polls July 16, and also, to get a strong vote in favor of the project, Hornbuckle said.
“Our mantra has been we don’t want to just win by 51 percent (of the vote),” Mathis said.
There are 97,785 registered voters in Springfield, including 586 new voters in the past month, said Gladys Oyola, election commissioner.
Two other casinos are vying for a single casino license in Western Massachusetts, with Mohegan Sun proposing a casino in Palmer and Hard Rock International proposing a project in West Springfield.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission, in its consideration of MGM’s proposed casino, would take into consideration “not only a majority vote by the public but how resounding that vote is in terms of turnout and percentage,” Mathis said.
Citizens Against Casino Gaming, an anti-casino group, has objected to the date of the vote, saying it should have been delayed until November when there could be a higher turnout.
Mathis said MGM has been reaching out to “tens of thousands of registered voters,” with a focus on educating them about the Springfield project and what it will bring in jobs, economic development and increased opportunities. It is hoped that more than 20 percent of the voters will turn out, and hopefully 30 percent, exceeding turnout in local elections, MGM officials said.
“As you have seen, we are very on the ground with all our efforts, and we are continuing that throughout the campaign leading up to July 16,” Mathis said. “We’ve got a very active, engaged local campaign office.”
Any anti-casino campaign, “we are prepared for that,” Hornbuckle said.
By April 1, the Gaming Commission is expected to make its casino selections in Massachusetts. The commission is slated to approve up to three casinos in the state including one casino chosen for Western Massachusetts, as well as one slots parlor in the state.
MGM finds it “interesting” that the project in Palmer is now proposing a water park, which would compete with the water park at Six Flags, Hornbuckle said. MGM is building partnerships with entities that include the MassMutual Center, Symphony Hall, and CityStage, and the Basketball Hall of Fame to promote their success.
MGM officials said they are fully committed to the goal of hiring 90 percent of their employees from the Springfield area, and for promoting diversity in its labor force. It has a record of diversity in its global workforce of 62,000 employee, said Maria Jose Gatti, director of diversity relations for MGM.
Regarding traffic, Alan Feldman, vice president of public affairs, said the company is committed to addressing any and all traffic issues. No one has a greater stake and economic interest in creating smooth access into the downtown then MGM itself, Feldman said.