Foxwoods Resorts Casino’s Massachusetts casino proposal comes with some pretty interesting promises: $20 million per year in tax revenue to Milford, $50 million a year to purchase goods and services from local businesses, and 3,500 employment opportunities.
That was the pitch made by Crossroads LLC to the Milford Board of Selectmen earlier this week, according to the Associated Press.
In addition to the aforementioned promises, the company also presented its architectural plans for the $1 billion casino plan, as well as results from studies it conducted as a response to civic concerns brought about by Foxwoods’ casino proposal.
“By pursuing a collaborative and open process, we have listened to the citizens of Milford and worked hard to address concerns,” said Scott Butera, president and chief executive of Foxwoods.
It certainly appears that Foxwoods, understandably so, is doing all it can to appease the concerns from the local communities, even going so far as to say that the project would have ecological zones, native vegetation and expansion of recreational trails.
It’s a shrewd move that Foxwoods is being sensitive to the voices of the Milford community, especially given the stakes involved in being awarded one of the three casino licenses in Massachusetts.
Foxwoods is competing for the state license for Eastern Massachusetts against Suffolk Downs and Everett. It’s been no secret that the Connecticut-based company is looking at expanding into new markets to drive up revenue amidst continuing struggles by its Connecticut casino, which has seen its revenue fall in each of the last 12 months dating back to May 2012.
So there’s a lot riding here for Foxwoods and the concrete promises laid out in its proposal is proof that it wants that license real bad. No decision has been made yet, but the company hopes to gain enough support to receive a host mitigation agreement in time for a referendum to be scheduled later this year before the company’s proposal goes to the state Gaming Commission.
