By Seth Daniel
Several sources confirmed Tuesday that Boston Mayor Martin Walsh had met with casino developer Steve Wynn Tuesday morning in Boston City Hall for the first time since Boston filed a lawsuit against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) in January.
“This was a longstanding meeting between the Mayor and Mr. Wynn,” said Bonnie McGilpin of Walsh’s Office. “Mayor Walsh has continued to keep an open line of communication throughout this process.”
The Mayor’s Office in Boston did not provide any details of the meeting or the discussions within that meeting, but said they are still focused on protecting the residents of Boston.
Wynn officials also acknowledged the Tuesday morning meeting.
“We can confirm there was a meeting that took place [Tuesday] between Mayor Walsh and Steven Wynn,” said Michael Weaver, senior vice president of marketing for Wynn. “It was a productive meeting.”
Wynn and Walsh have met previously, but since Boston decided to file a lawsuit in January, and then amended that lawsuit with enhanced complaints last summer, there have been no face-to-face meetings between the two.
Things got even icier in the relationship late last September when, a day after meeting with Wynn representatives, Boston filed another lawsuit seeking to invalidate Wynn Everett’s environmental approvals.
That devolved into a war of words and a belief that the two men would likely never meet face to face.
The City of Boston said the meeting is not a new revelation but something that has been planned for quite some time.