Morning Headlines: Casino Developer Faces NIMBY Opposition in South Philly
Rendering of Live! Hotel and Casino via PlanPhilly
Earlier this week, Joel Mathis announced that the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will soon bestow Philadelphia’s second casino license to one of the four applicants left. But with rumors that one of the contenders has the license in the bag, and the approval not due till the 18th, residents in South Philadelphia are rallying in protest.
According to NewsWorks’ Bill Hangley, residents are fighting against Stadium Casinos, LLC’s proposed Live! Hotel and Casino that would be at 10th and Packer. Their main issue with the proposed development? It’s proximity to the stadium complex. From NewsWorks:
Among their concerns: parking hassles, crime, drunken troublemakers and sinking property values. Altogether, at least 300 residents came out to a community meeting Wednesday night to share their concerns. Leading the opposition to the project was Barbara Capozzi, a real estate agent and board member of the Sports Complex Special Services District.
“NIMBY, not in our backyard, is our best argument,” Capozzi said. “There’s no place in the city that has more in their backyard than we do … the neighborhood I’m talking about goes ten, fifteen blocks from the stadium complex, and we already have more problems than we can handle.”
Hangley reports Local 98’s John Dougherty was also at the rally, but had a different view from the NIMBY supporters:
Dougherty said the project would create at least 1,000 construction jobs, and urged the residents to think of their neighbors.
“People who don’t like gaming don’t like gaming,” he said. “I like building buildings. I like maintaining buildings. I like employing kids at decent wages with great benefits. And I’m the largest single employer in this neighborhood.”
He was booed.
In any case, we’ll know where Philadelphia’s new casino will be by Tuesday.
The other applicants are Tower Entertainment (the Provence at 400 North Broad), PHL Local Gaming (Casino Revolution at 3333 South Front), Market East Associates (Market8 Casino at 8th and Market).
• South Philly neighbors rally against casino in their backyard [NewsWorks]
In other news…
• We Need a Census for City Streets [Next City]
• Frankford Chocolate Factory at 21st and Washington Ave. is finally for sale [Passyunk Post]
• Suburban Station looking to fill spaces vacated by McDonalds, Church’s Chicken [Business Journal]
• Reactivating vacant schools: Design group takes collaborative approach in Philly [NewsWorks]
• Montgomery County Planning Commission Board adopts 2040 comprehensive plan [Times Herald]
