Leominster Council Mulls Casino Election Date
The Cordish Cos. has requested Sept. 24 as an election date for its Leominster slots parlor proposal and the city council is expected to vote on it tonight.
The request is on the agenda for the regular council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Leominster City Hall. The council will either vote to set the date or give the matter more time for consideration, though City Clerk Lynn Bouchard said she expects city councilors to take a vote.
Cordish’s request for an election follows Mayor Dean J. Mazzarella’s announcement Thursday that a host agreement was signed to allow Cordish to build a $200-million, 1,250-slot parlor on Jungle Road, near the intersection of Route 117 and I-195.
State law mandates that proposals must be approved in city- or town-wide votes before developers can submit official applications for gaming licenses. Applications are due to the state’s Gaming Commission on Oct. 4. Cordish is vying for the state’s only slots parlor license, and is competing against proposals in Millbury, Plainville and Raynham.
The first Central Massachusetts community to sign an agreement with a casino developer, Leominster has stipulated that if the city gets the state's only slots license, the city would receive the greater of 2 percent of Cordish's gaming revenue at the site, or $3.5 million a year for the first five years. After that, the $3.5 million could be adjusted down if revenues decline. However, after 10 years, Cordish would contribute 2.5 percent of its revenues to the city.
Image source: Freedigitalphotos.net
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