Mohegan Sun officials are expected to discuss their casino proposal for Palmer on Monday at 7 p.m. at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School, 240 Sykes St.
This is a rendering of Mohegan Sun's proposed "world-class destination resort" casino and hotel complex, which would rise on more than 152 wooded acres bordering Route 32 in Palmer.
PALMER — When officials from Mohegan Sun roll into town Monday to talk up their casino plan, it will be a much-anticipated chance for citizens to learn more about a $600 million project that could spark an economic transformation for Palmer and the region.
It's also a chance for casino supporters to remind Mohegan Sun why the company chose Palmer for its proposed luxury hotel, resort and gaming facility, according to Town Councilor Paul E. Burns. The 7 p.m. public forum at Pathfinder Regional Technical Vocational High School "is an opportunity for Palmer to put its best foot forward," said the at-large councilor, who strongly supports bringing a casino to Palmer.
Burns said Mohegan Sun can once again take the lead in the contest to win the state's lone casino license for Western Massachusetts. "I look forward to hearing more detailed information on how Mohegan Sun will present the 'biggest and best' proposal that the Gaming Commission indicates it is seeking," he said.
The public forum is expected to draw a crowd hungry for details about Mohegan's proposal to build a "world-class destination resort" on 152 wooded acres off Route 32 near Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike. Town Manager Charles T. Blanchard said casino officials are expected to reveal more about the scope of the project at Monday's event at Pathfinder, located at 240 Sykes St. in Palmer.
Palmer Town Councilor Paul Burns
The Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority was among the earliest casino operators to put forward a large-scale proposal for Western Massachusetts, but details have been slow to emerge.
"I urge all in Palmer who support this project to attend the forum Monday night to demonstrate our commitment to supporting the 'biggest and best' casino proposal in Western Mass," Burns said.
Casino officials say their plan could create as many as 3,000 permanent jobs, up to 1,200 construction jobs, and more than 2,500 indirect jobs. The 152½-acre casino site – comprised of four parcels owned by Northeast Realty Associates LLC that are worth $3.7 million – is bounded on the west and north by Thorndike Street, on the east by Breckenridge Street, and on the south by a large undeveloped parcel. Northeast Realty is leasing the land to the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which is paying the tax bill for the properties.
The proposed location of the casino is something Mohegan officials will likely continue to play up as regional competition heats up in Springfield and West Springfield, communities where rival casino proposals have been pitched.
"We chose our site here in Palmer – the best resort casino location in Massachusetts – for very specific reasons: The access and proximity to markets will make the facility attractive to a variety of visitors from across New England," Mohegan officials wrote in a September 2012 Palmer Community News bulletin posted on the company's website.
Other Palmer selling points cited by Mohegan officials include a "talented and eager" local and regional workforce and a level of community support that's "unprecedented and unequaled."
The current plan calls for developing about 152 acres, but additional available acreage makes the Palmer site larger and more desirable than rival sites in other municipalities, according to Burns. "I look forward as well to hearing how Mohegan Sun will maximize the advantages unique to Palmer, especially those of the largest site in the state and a unique opportunity to foster development in the largest potential area in both Central and Western (Massachusetts)," he said.