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Developers from MGM Resorts International today promised to build a “world-class resort” and create 3,000 direct jobs while having little impact on this small community.
James J. Murren, chairman of the board and CEO of MGM Resorts International, said the company is dedicated to the Brimfield site, and is working to gain the trust of residents who would have to approve a gaming facility in their town.
“If locals don’t choose to support the project, we won’t be here,” Mr. Murren said at a news conference.
But he believes the proposal is solid, and said the 300 acres in Brimfield and Warren are an attractive site for a resort because the land is close to the Massachusetts Turnpike, yet in an area so remote that residents would not see many changes in their town.
Local developer David J. Callahan, CEO of Palmer Paving Corp. and a principal of Rolling Hills Estates Realty Trust, said he selected MGM as a partner after researching several potential developers and spending months talking with residents.
He said MGM’s plan most closely matched with what residents want and don’t want, if their town is to host to casino.
Mr. Callahan has owned the property for some time and has been considering it for a casino for years, but there had been no legislation to permit such developments.
Voters in Warren, in a nonbinding measure around 2003, agreed to approve a site for a casino, he said, and he is hoping Brimfield residents will eventually do the same.
There are already other proposals on the table for a casino in Western Massachusetts, where just one can be built under state law.
A proposal for Springfield and another for Holyoke could be in the works. Mohegan Sun, a Connecticut-based company, hopes to build just a few miles away in Palmer. That site is also in close proximity to the turnpike, and drawings of the planned development have been revealed.
Mr. Murren said MGM officials are taking a different tack, talking to residents in the area and waiting to draw plans until they know what would be acceptable for Brimfield. The group plans to build a facility with a “Colonial New England feel.”
They are concerned about environmental matters, such as light pollution, and are working to limit those impacts, as well, he said. All water and sewer needs would be handled on-site, Mr. Murren said. He added that there would be no local road access for patrons. All traffic into the casino would use the turnpike.
Parts of the town were devastated last June by tornadoes that tore away more than 100 homes and devastated Brimfield’s tax base. Local officials, including Diane M. Panaccione, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, said they hope the casino would help replenish the tax base and rebuild the town.
Mr. Murren said that is part of the group’s plan, and the casino would contribute to the local economy and be part of rebuilding not just in Brimfield but throughout the area.
Police Chief Charles T. Kuss said the town, because of its thrice-yearly flea markets, already has an idea about how to handle a sudden, large volume of traffic.
He said from what he has learned about the proposal, the traffic impacts would be minimal.
The casino would have its own security, as well, he said.
Still, he is doing research and calling police chiefs in small towns across the country where casinos are sited.
“Obviously you can’t compare Brimfield to Las Vegas, but there are small towns in, say Mississippi, where I will talk to the chiefs to see what kid of impact it has had,” he said.
The working name for the resort is “Rolling Hills Resort,” and a modest sign reflecting that was erected at MGM’s new office space at 1 Warren Road at Mahogany Ridge field, where one of the flea markets is held. The property is owned by former longtime Selectman Martin J. Kelly.
MGM has also hired its first employee, Kristen Gaskell, a former selectmen’s secretary, to head up their Brimfield office. William J. Hornbuckle, MGM’s chief marketing officer, will oversee the project.
If MGM is chosen to develop the Western Massachusetts casino, it would take about 36 months to complete.
MGM operates several Las Vegas casinos, including MGM Grand, Bellagio, The Mirage and Mandalay Bay. While they have a “branding agreement” with Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut, which uses the MGM name on one of its towers, MGM will compete against the Connecticut resorts, Mr. Murren said.
There are still several steps that must be taken before any resorts are constructed in the Bay State. Local approval is needed and a state commission will have final say over where the casinos are built.
Mr. Murren said he expects some strong competition, which will be good for the state.
“We do not take this lightly,” he said of the competition. “We feel we can prevail.”
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