At a public hearing, held Tuesday night, Windsor Locks residents stated their opinion on the two proposals for establishing a casino venue in the area. They were enabled to speak freely about the advantages and disadvantages a casino, located either near Bradley International Airport or at Bobby V’s sports bar, would bring about.
As for town officials, they announced they are open to the idea of considering other sites for the future casino and requested the residents to take an active part in the process. Christopher Kervick, the First Selectman, emphasized on the importance of the town collectiveness.
During the meeting, it became clear that residents have split opinions on the casino project. Several construction workers were wearing green shirts in support of the casino and the local economy in particular.
Overall, the attitude about Bradley airport was positive. Given the jobs that are to be created and the revenue that is to be generated, the site was defined as the “perfect location”. Rep. Peggy Sayers, one of the notable public hearing attendees, urged the town officials to enter into talks with the tribes and organize a townwide referendum if the negotiations are successful. However, some attendees raised their concerns about Bradley airport location and put forward the question about the tax exemption.
The arguments drawn in favor of the casino construction were quickly disapproved by opponents of the project. They said that basically, the casino construction will not have a positive impact on the local economy as the generated revenue will be spent on measures for dealing with the increased crime rates and gambling addiction.
Foxwoods and Mohegan are the two tribes that joined forces towards the establishment of a third Connecticut casino and Windsor Locks is one of the possible locations. The tribes were expected to announce the third casino location this week, but they decided to push back the set deadline without specifying a new date.
Their decision turned out to be beneficial to Windsor Locks that is yet to figure out some major details regarding the proposal. However, town officials revealed that if their proposal is accepted, residents will have the final say on the matter and a referendum will be held.
In order to start the casino construction, the tribes need to get the approval of the town and the developer. However, if chosen, the Bradley airport site does not need to get the nod of town authorities since it is a state property.
