Despite Question 3, Plainridge casino forges ahead
Courtesy of Penn National Gaming
The developer of Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville says $55 million has been spent on construction so far, and the project is about half-way complete. The work includes renovation of an existing building and construction of a new, 106,000-square-foot building on Route 1.
The fate of casino gambling in Massachusetts is far from certain as a ballot question that could nix it looms closer. But developers of the Plainridge Park Casino aren’t faltering.
“We are already underway with construction … In fact, we are a little more than halfway done,” said Eric Schippers, senior vice president of public affairs for Penn National Gaming, the Pennsylvania-based firm that was awarded the state’s single slots parlor license by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
A calculated risk
Plainridge was the winning applicant, in part because commissioners wanted to seize an opportunity to preserve harness racing in Massachusetts.
The Plainridge Park track has been open since 1999, two years after nearby Foxboro Park closed following 50 years of operation. Schippers said the harness racing industry will get a “huge shot in the arm” should the casino be completed. Yet he acknowledged that it could all fall apart if voters choose to repeal the casino gambling law at the ballot box on Nov. 4, causing the company to lose out on the $55 million it has spent to date on the project.
“We’re taking an obviously calculated risk here,” Schippers said. But, when asked about the possibility that voters could shut down casino gambling, Schippers said Penn National is trying to avoid being distracted by that.
“We’re going to focus on the positives,” Schippers said. “We’re not going to get into the ‘what ifs’ at this point.”
Penn National and area business leaders who favor the Plainridge Park project are part of the Coalition to Protect Mass Jobs, a statewide group of casino gambling supporters that’s campaigning for a “No” vote on Question 3. According to Schippers, about 500 construction workers are already employed on site, and that will increase to 1,000 before construction is through. In addition, the company expects about 500 permanent jobs will be created at Plainridge Park, which will house both casino operations and business offices. The race track supports about 125 jobs, according to Penn National.
A “No” vote would preserve the Expanded Gaming Act passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Deval Patrick in November 2011, allowing the slots parlor in Plainville, and resort casinos slated for Everett and Springfield, to open as planned.
Globe poll finds repeal a longshot
The coalition has reason to be hopeful. A Boston Globe poll published last week found that just 40 percent of likely voters favor repeal, while 53 percent want to keep the casino law. Seven percent of respondents were unsure.
“The energy against casinos have been NIMBY (Not in My Back Yard) energy, and that can’t really be enough,” Jerold Duquette, a political science professor at Central Connecticut State University, told the Globe.
Schippers echoed Duquette, noting that the project won the approval of 76 percent of Plainville voters in the town referendum in September 2013. Still, Question 3 presents an unprecedented challenge for Penn National, which has fought legal battles in other states, but never a ballot referendum asking for a complete repeal of casino gambling.
If a repeal wins, Penn National will not be the only company losing out. MetroWest-area contractors have already been awarded contracts worth millions of dollars. For example, the company S&F Concrete of Hudson won a $2.6 million contract, according to Penn National, while NB Kenney, of Devens, received a $3.2 million plumbing deal.
Many more small businesses will enjoy a ripple effect from operations at Plainridge Park, according to Jack Lank, president of the United Regional Chamber of Commerce that represents Plainville and surrounding communities. Lank said Penn National has contracted with about 40 local businesses. “They’ve impressed me so far,” Lank said.
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