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8 hours ago

Proposed $40M horse-racing facility in Leominster faces pushback from residents

Satellite image of a vacant lot Image | Courtesy of Google Earth The proposed site of The Fairgrounds
By Eric Casey

A proposal to build a horse racing track and sports gambling bar at the site of a former Leominster landfill is receiving pushback from local residents.

Baystate Racing, a Worcester-based firm, is proposing The Fairgrounds horse racing facility for a 31-acre former landfill off of Mechanic Street and the Leominster Connector. The proposed facility would see the $40-million construction of a turf racing track, on-site sportsbook, and the ability to bet on horse races at other sites via simulcasts, according to the project’s website.

The project would include construction of entrances and exits for the facility directly connecting it to the Leominster Connector, a move the developer says would help reduce traffic and other impacts on local residents. 

The plan would be to hold two racing festivals per year, with a total of six days of racing at the site. Baystate Racing says the site would be home to a horse therapy center and will be utilized as a community space when races are not being held.

Baystate Racing says the proposed facility would revitalize unused space in the city and serve as a barrier to urban sprawl. Some Leominster residents have pushed back against the proposal, spawning the creation of a petition against the project and a call for the City of Leominster to ban horse and dog racing.

A petition to stop the project has received more than 1,300 signatures on Change.org, as Leominster resident Lisa Nugent has filed a petition with the Leominster City Council to prohibit horse and dog racing, as well as any associated betting or wagering on the sports, within Leominster. 

The proposal does not include dog racing, which has been illegal in Massachusetts since it was banned in 2010 following the successful passage of a 2008 ballot initiative, according to WBUR.

The proposal to ban horse racing in Leominster was discussed during the Leominster City Council meeting on March 24, where dozens of concerned residents spoke out against the proposal, citing public health concerns around increased access to gambling and other potential  negative impacts.

“I do not feel like this would be good for our town,” Leominster resident Scott Singel said at the meeting. “I beg you to listen to us and not bring this into our town.”

State Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster), spoke out against the proposal during the meeting.

“Our public budgets are a moral document, and I hope Leominster will continue to focus on building economic opportunities that don’t include animal racing,” Higgins said. 

Baystate Racing argues the site would create $1 million in annual revenue and involve the creation of more than 350 jobs, according to the project’s website. The proposal remains in its early stages, and the firm has not officially filed plans for the facility. 

Baystate’s proposal for Leominster comes after failed efforts to convince the Town of Gardner to have a horseracing track built there, according to The Gardner News. 

The Leominster City Council voted in favor of holding a public hearing on the petition on May 12.

Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries. 

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