Ameristar outlines plan for city casino

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Casino developer Ameristar just revealed new details about their plan for a resort gaming destination in Springfield.

Ameristar says a Springfield Casino would include slots and table games, a luxury hotel, restaurants, entertainment, shops, meeting space and parking.

According to them, the plan would create 2,000 construction jobs and 2,800 permanent jobs.

Ameristar says they would work to address traffic concerns by building a new interchange that would take drivers over 291, directly into the parking garages.

City Assessor Richard Allen says a casino has the potential to bring in $20-million dollars or more in extra tax revenue.

It would be the largest construction project the city of Springfield has ever seen, but it may not be as big as what western Mass. gamblers are used to seeing.

Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are among the largest casinos in the country.

The Massachusetts gaming law only requires a developer to spend $500-million, (although they may spend more).

To put that in perspective, the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, which opened in 1990, cost about $1-billion dollars to build. That's according to the New York Times.

Ameristar wants to build on the 41 acres of land they own at the site of the former Westinghouse property near 291 off Page Boulevard.

But before Ameristar can build, they have to apply for a license, win that license, gather community support and then negotiate a community impact fee with the city of Springfield.

Ameristar is facing local competition from developers like Mohegan Sun, MGM and Hard Rock International.

The state's gaming law allows for three commercial resort casino licenses to be issued across three geographical regions of the state. That does NOT include a potential resort casino in Taunton. The law allowed for a separate compact between the state and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.

That casino would be considered a 'tribal' casino and a separate 'commercial' casino license may still be awarded to the Southeast region of the state with federal approval.