Tagged: springfield

For the second time in 18 months the city of Springfield Massachusetts was hit by a major disaster in 2012.  A natural gas explosion rocked downtown on the Friday after Thanksgiving. As with the June 2011 tornado, the city went through a recovery period and is now looking to rebuild.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

A company that hopes to develop a casino in Springfield, Mass. says it has paid $650,000 in application fees to the city and state.

Penn National Gaming said in a statement Friday it had submitted a non-refundable, $400,000 application fee to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission that was required by Jan. 15 for the company to be considered for a casino license.

The Pennsylvania-based company said it also submitted a $250,000 fee required by the city of Springfield, which is conducting its own casino review process.

Top executives from casino industry heavyweights MGM Resorts International and Penn National Gaming pitched their competing  plans for Springfield Massachusetts last night.  The forum drew hundreds of people with questions about the impact of a casino development in downtown Springfield.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

Two high powered casino operators affirmed their commitments this week to pursue projects in Springfield Massachusetts.  Officials in Holyoke, a late entry to the western Massachusetts casino competition, are moving to form committees to review proposals from developers.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief  Paul Tuthill has an update on the fast moving casino story.

The announcement by casino operator Ameristar that it is dropping out of the competition for a gambling license in Massachusetts has been greeted by disappointment in Springfield.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The announcement late Friday by Ameristar came just five weeks after the company’s CEO Gordy Kanofsky, speaking to 200 invited guests inside a large white tent on a former industrial site, boasted about the plans to build a nearly $1 billion dollar resort casino on the property.