Town Administrator: ‘People in Plainville Not Very Happy’ Over Casino Referendum
Plainville Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes was none too pleased with the Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling yesterday, which will put a referendum question on repealing expanded gaming on the ballot in November.
The Boston Herald spoke with Fernandes, who pointed to the town’s overwhelming support for the Penn National Gaming slots parlor already under construction in the town.
[fragment number=0]
[fragment number=1]
Fernandes pointed to the prospect of 400 new full-time jobs and 1,000 construction jobs expected to come from the slots parlor.
Yesterday, Penn National told Boston.com that in the wake of the SJC decision, it did not plan to slow its construction schedule, which currently calls for the parlor to open next June. It said it would campaign against the ballot initiative in the lead-up to election season.
MGM Resorts, which the state has approved to build a full casino in Springfield pending the outcome of the referendum, is also moving forward with planning, MassLive reports, though it cannot begin development until after the November vote. MassLive also reports Springfield Mayor Don Sarna said yesterday that he is “optimistic’’ the initiative will be defeated.
According to WBUR, Penn National and MGM will campaign against the referendum in tandem.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com