On February 4, a public hearing with Wynn officials about their plans and the impacts of the casino for Charlestown was held that for many residents seemed to raise more questions.
Local community leaders who sit on boards like the Charlestown Neighborhood Council have legitimate questions about the drawbacks for our community if a casino is located in Everett .
The situation today is clearer about the casino license than when the February 4 meeting was held at Charlestown High School.
On Tuesday, the residents of Revere voted by almost 2 to 1 to approve the location of a Mohegan Sun Casino in their city.
Officially, there are now two companies that have passed the Gaming Commission’s thorough checklist and are now competing for the lucrative Greater Boston casino license. The decision for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is whether this casino will be in Everett or Revere. The Commission will be awarding the license in late June instead of May as had been originally planned.
Lastly, Boston’s being classified as a host community for either of these casino locations seems to be more fleeting as the days pass. Thus, the ability to effectively stop one or both of these projects by local officials is now remote. Mayor Martin Walsh must now negotiate in a much weaker position as a surrounding community with fewer benefits to mitigate the casino drawbacks for the neighborhoods in East Boston or Charlestown.
The awarding of the casino license is out of our hands, as is the location for these casinos.
Residents are faced with either still fighting the Wynn Resort with lawsuits or continuing to write opposition letters to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Again, the likelihood of success to stop the Wynn Resort is against us.
Our community leaders know our neighborhood better than anyone. Residents who have chosen our community to buy their homes and raise their families know why they have made this enormous financial decision to live here.
We urge at least another community meeting with the Wynn Resort team. The Wynn team believes that the positives of a Wynn Resort far outweigh the drawbacks for Charlestown residents. Let’s hear why they feel this way and conversely, we can let them know our concerns.
Wynn has a 50/50 chance of obtaining the license. Given this fact, open and frank communication about the issues of traffic and life quality for our neighborhood is what is needed now.