Though Tower Investments' CEO Bart Blatstein hasn't filed his paperwork with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) yet, Philadelphia's most prominent and ballsy developer will unveil plans for a casino complex tonight. The $700 billionmillion "world-class resort" would be on the site of the old Inquirer/Daily News/philly.com building—where many a gamble (especially on tablet publishing) has been taken before.
Tonight's launch party will host a "'Who's Who' Of City's Political, Business & Labor Leaders," according to a media advisory, as well as "many Philadelphia-area 'movers and shakers'." They'll get to see renderings, a video and learn what the name of the complex will be and who the partners are.
Blatstein has said this casino complex would be part of the revitalization of North Broad, but as could be expected, not everyone is sold on the idea. In today's Daily News, Valerie Russ talked to a lawyer who represents a non-partisan coalition of groups who have come together to consider what a casino in that area might mean to the city.
The coalition "is deeply concerned about the impact a casino will have on that community, whether it's traffic, parking, crime and safety, or consistent development for North Broad," Greenberg said. ... He said the SugarHouse Casino on Delaware Avenue has had some success.
"But we've also learned from the Foxwoods casino [which was never built] that there are some sites where the traffic, security and other issues are so severe that no casino should be there."
The Callowhill Neighborhood Association is taking a wait-and-see approach, while Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp.'s John Chin is adamantly opposed.
One Curbed commenter has this to say of tonight's event:
Not going to have this event in the community the proposed casino would be in? Wonder why... this is an atrociously awful idea in an area that has otherwise been moving forward impressively. The casino would be ON THE SAME BLOCK as part of the community college. It would be TWO BLOCKS from Masterman. It would be just blocks away from a thriving residential area. Broad street already has enough problems with traffic to and from 676. Blatstein had the nerve to claim a casino would add "eyes on the street" to the area when it's abundantly clear that casinos have a net effect of increasing petty crime, not decreasing it. This is a terrible idea. Say NO to the casino. Why do we feel we'll hear a lot more of that point of view if this plan moves forward?
Stay tuned for coverage of tonight's shindig.
· Developer to unveil plans for N. Broad site, but some don't want casino [Daily News]
· Bart Blatstein Is Planning a Casino on North Broad [CPHI]
· And Now: Frank Keel's Mea Culpa for Erroneous Mathematics Regarding Bart Blatstein's Casino Complex on North Broad [CPHI]
· Bart and Parcel Archives [CPHI]
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