The last time you heard Steve Wynn's name associated with Philadelphia and casinos, he was running away from the Foxwoods disaster as fast as his billionaire booties could carry him. The third-largest casino operator in the U.S. did, however, declare himself "fascinated by the legalization of full gaming in Pennsylvania and stimulated by the opportunity that it presents for Wynn Resorts."
Clearly, Wynn has been holding a torch for us ever since. After a brief election-related scandal, he's announced that he's tossing his hat into the ring for that second Philadelphia casino license. The plans, according to the Inquirer's Jennifer Lin, are for a 300-room hotel and a 150,000 square foot casino on the waterfront, just north of Penn Treaty Park.
When asked what the hotel-casino would look like, Wynn cited his Encore property in Macau (the city where he mints the bulk of his money), which opened in 2010. It's very similar to the Encore in the Las Vegas (the city where he mints the rest of his money). It would certainly be more lavish than Bart Blatstein's Provence and Stadium Casino LLC's proposal to remake the Holiday Inn down by the sports complex.
It should be interesting to see how Sugarhouse, Fishtown's first casino, would feel about Wynn's choice for a location. If it were to proceed, the waterfront there could turn into a little gambling mecca, so it could attract more business for Sugarhouse--or take it away. As for residents, who bedeviled Wynn last time around, we suspect they'll have some...questions.
· Steve Wynn proposes riverfront casino in Fishtown [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Loading comments...