The five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission gave its unanimous consent for a final state license that allows MGM Resorts International to start demolition and construction for its proposed casino and entertainment facility in Springfield, Mass.
This $950 million, 14.5-acre project—which the developer and Commission had been wrangling over for a year—was approved after the Commission determined MGM had taken sufficient steps to minimize this project’s environmental impact. That included reducing the size of the casino from its original plan as a 25-story tower to its current low-rise proposal for six stories. The developer also reduced the building’s square footage by nearly 14% to 759,157 sf. A proposed apartment complex will be moved outside of the development’s site.
All these changes led to a $150 million increase in this project’s costs, according to Masslive.com. What those extra dollars will pay for was not disclosed.
At a later date, the Commission will vote on the casino’s proposed design. Masslive.com reports that the project now includes extensive landscaping and a new stormwater management system.
Among the buildings expected to be demolished is the Howard St. Primary School, which was damaged in a 2011 tornado; and a boarding house on Bliss St. The original plan would have meant the demolition of the United Electric Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Based on the project’s impact, eight cities and towns, including Chicopee and Holyoke, and Agawam, East Longmeadow, Longmeadow, Ludlow, West Springfield and Wilbraham, are among those eligible for mitigation.
The Springfield casino is slated to open sometime in 2018.
Unrelated to the casino project but hovering in the background was the news that one of MGM Springfield’s contractors, Tishman Construction, will pay more than $20 million in penalties and restitution after admitting that it had defrauded clients of more than $5 million in the years 1999 and 2009. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York hit Tishman with federal fraud charges on Dec. 10.
World Casino News also reports that the Commission recently opened a discussion regarding an update on the casino license for the Region C casino license and the tribal compact for the Masspee Wampanoag Indian Tribe and Mass Gaming and Entertainment’s $677 million casino in Brockton, Mass. The U.S. Department of the Interior approved land-into-trust applications for the transfer of approximately 151 acres of land in East Taunton and 170 acres in Mashpee for the tribe back in September.
Related Stories
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 19, 2013
Roof renovation tips: Making the choice between overlayment and tear-off
When embarking upon a roofing renovation project, one of the first decisions for the Building Team is whether to tear off and replace the existing roof or to overlay the new roof right on top of the old one. Roofing experts offer guidance on making this assessment.
| Sep 11, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 3 coverage
Day 3 coverage of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo, taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Sep 10, 2013
BUILDINGChicago eShow Daily – Day 2 coverage
The BD+C editorial team brings you this real-time coverage of day 2 of the BUILDINGChicago/Greening the Heartland conference and expo taking place this week at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.
| Aug 26, 2013
What you missed last week: Architecture billings up again; record year for hotel renovations; nation's most expensive real estate markets
BD+C's roundup of the top construction market news for the week of August 18 includes the latest architecture billings index from AIA and a BOMA study on the nation's most and least expensive commercial real estate markets.
| Aug 22, 2013
Energy-efficient glazing technology [AIA Course]
This course discuses the latest technological advances in glazing, which make possible ever more efficient enclosures with ever greater glazed area.
| Aug 14, 2013
Green Building Report [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Building Design+Construction's rankings of the nation's largest green design and construction firms.
| Jul 29, 2013
2013 Giants 300 Report
The editors of Building Design+Construction magazine present the findings of the annual Giants 300 Report, which ranks the leading firms in the AEC industry.
| Jul 19, 2013
Renovation, adaptive reuse stay strong, providing fertile ground for growth [2013 Giants 300 Report]
Increasingly, owners recognize that existing buildings represent a considerable resource in embodied energy, which can often be leveraged for lower front-end costs and a faster turnaround than new construction.
| Jul 2, 2013
LEED v4 gets green light, will launch this fall
The U.S. Green Building Council membership has voted to adopt LEED v4, the next update to the world’s premier green building rating system.
