{"id":128995,"date":"2020-03-04T20:26:34","date_gmt":"2020-03-05T04:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/?p=128995"},"modified":"2020-03-05T09:33:26","modified_gmt":"2020-03-05T17:33:26","slug":"springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/","title":{"rendered":"Springfield, Massachusetts Officials Hope MGM Casino Neighborhood Rebounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is growing enthusiasm for a planned economic development district involving multiple city blocks around the MGM Springfield gaming property. The planned downtown district in Massachusetts\u2019 third-largest city is now marked by many older buildings which are often vacant, foreclosed upon, or require significant investment to reduce blight.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The MGM Springfield may be a cornerstone for economic development in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts. A new plan was explained to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last week. (Image: Charles Krupa\/Associated Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As envisioned, the city will encourage revitalization around the $1 billion casino through economic incentives and zoning changes. The MGM Springfield opened in 2018 on property in the Metro Center section of the historic community, which is situated along the Connecticut River.<\/p>\n

The casino was seen as a cornerstone to spur further economic renewal, and builds on earlier efforts that date back to the 1950s. However, there are challenges.<\/p>\n

A 2019 study released by MassINC, a public policy organization, revealed the city\u2019s cost for housing is among the least expensive in Massachusetts. That is based on median price per square foot.<\/p>\n

Nine percent of the city\u2019s buildings are empty. Close to 40,000 of Springfield\u2019s population of about 155,000 reside in neighborhoods where the poverty rate falls above 40 percent, the study reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpringfield has a level of concentrated poverty that looks like New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina,\u201d Ben Forman, research director of MassINC, told the Associated Press last year.<\/p>\n

But city officials hope to change that outlook with what they are calling a \u201cdowntown casino impact district.\u201d As planned, the Springfield MGM will be a magnet for further redevelopment.<\/p>\n

\n

Despite MGM Springfield recently struggling to meet pre-market projections of gross gaming revenue (GGR), the casino is providing substantial tax revenue and financial aid to the state, city, and surrounding communities. The GGR goal was an average of about $34.8 million per month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

MGM management has admitted the venue\u2019s struggles, acknowledging they did not anticipate gamblers\u2019 loyalty to Connecticut\u2019s two tribal gaming properties, among other factors.<\/p>\n

To prevent further competition, MGM has gone to court to block a proposed tribal satellite casino to be built in East Windsor<\/a>, Connecticut. That property is located some 13 miles away.<\/p>\n

Momentum Praised by MGM<\/h2>\n

\u201cAs a partner within the community, we are encouraged by the economic momentum that is growing in the region, and we look forward to working with the city on the revitalization of this great American downtown,\u201d MGM Springfield said in statement to Casino.org <\/em>this week when asked about the ambitious project.<\/p>\n

The local chamber of commerce backs the initiative, too, according to Nancy Creed, president of the Springfield Regional Chamber. \u201cThe Springfield Regional Chamber fully supports the city of Springfield\u2019s efforts to create a downtown casino impact district,\u201d Creed told Casino.org<\/em>.<\/p>\n

As the regional business chamber for western Massachusetts and beyond, we exist to champion local business growth and catalyze thriving communities. Expanding commerce around MGM Springfield seems to check both boxes,\u201d Creed added.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

She explained that the economic development plan \u201cis another resource in Springfield\u2019s toolkit for attracting potential developers, spurring investment, and, ultimately, generating positive growth throughout our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Updated<\/h2>\n

Last week, city officials explained the development plan to apparently sympathetic members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Though still early in the process, the plan may encourage mixed-use development, with buildings having ground-floor retail tenants and residences in upper floors.<\/p>\n

The commission met in Springfield as it focused on local gaming and related issues. Springfield Chief Development Officer Timothy Sheehan said the plan will require multiple steps and focuses on development near the casino.<\/p>\n

One building that is being considered for development is the Old First Church at Court Square, now owned by the city. It could house residences and somehow be connected to art and culture, Sheehan said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not hard to imagine the potential on a lot of those buildings you mentioned as foreclosed upon and the neighborhood around it,\u201d commission member Enrique Zuniga was quoted by MassLive<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is growing enthusiasm for a planned economic development district involving multiple city blocks around the MGM Springfield gaming property. The planned downtown district in Massachusetts\u2019 third-largest city is now marked by many older buildings which are often vacant, foreclosed upon, or require significant investment to reduce blight. As envisioned, the city will encourage revitalization […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":128997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,33810],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSpringfield, Massachusetts Officials Hope MGM Casino Area Will Rebound<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is growing enthusiasm for a planned economic development district involving multiple city blocks around the MGM Springfield gaming property.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Springfield, Massachusetts Officials Hope MGM Casino Area Will Rebound\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is growing enthusiasm for a planned economic development district involving multiple city blocks around the MGM Springfield gaming property.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-05T04:26:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-03-05T17:33:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Springfield.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1072\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@casinoorgedsilv\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ed Silverstein\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/\",\"name\":\"Springfield, Massachusetts Officials Hope MGM Casino Area Will Rebound\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Springfield.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-05T04:26:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-03-05T17:33:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/b3771b02527bcbda9af984b9b1ff098e\"},\"description\":\"There is growing enthusiasm for a planned economic development district involving multiple city blocks around the MGM Springfield gaming property.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/springfield-massachusetts-officials-hope-neighborhood-around-mgm-casino-will-rebound\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Springfield.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Springfield.jpg\",\"width\":1700,\"height\":1072,\"caption\":\"FILE -- In this Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2018 file photo the MGM Springfield casino's logo decorates the front facade on Main Street in Springfield, Mass. 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