MassGaming to close ‘host community hearing’ in Springfield as a final step in the Region B licensing process, all surrounding community agreements completed and available online
- May 12, 2014
- by MGC Communications
- 0 comments
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission has reached the final steps in the Region B (Western Massachusetts) licensing process. The Commission will hold the final Host Community Hearing in Springfield on Wednesday, May 14th. This public hearing is a continuation of the Commission’s April 1, 2014 hearing and is intended to provide the Commission with a final opportunity to hear any comments related to the recently executed Surrounding Community Agreements between the applicant, Blue Tarp redevelopment LLC/MGM, and the Town of Longmeadow and the Town of West Springfield. No votes or decisions will be made at this hearing; it is simply intended as an opportunity for the Commission to gather information and gauge public sentiment as the Commission moves toward the completion of the evaluation process for the sole resort-casino applicant in Western Massachusetts.
The hearing will be held at the MassMutual Center in Springfield on Wednesday, May 14th. To view details and guidelines for the hearing, please see the hearing notice posted on MassGaming.com.
This final hearing marks a major step towards the award of a resort-casino license in Western Massachusetts which is anticipated for June 13, 2014.
In addition, the Region B applicant has successfully completed the execution of eight Surrounding Community Agreements. These agreements are made available for public viewing on the MassGaming website. It should be noted that Massachusetts is the only jurisdiction in the country that requires ‘Surrounding Community Agreements’ providing municipalities with the ability to address the potential for impacts resulting from a gaming establishment.
For a complete status of the overall Category 1 (resort-casino) licensing process and the status of surrounding community negotiations, click here.
