Only a day after gambling operator MGM Resorts International, which is building a $800-million hotel and casino resort in Springfield, Massachusetts, announced that it would implement more changes in the design of the venue, a group of researchers revealed that it would review the impact the project would have on the city and the state as a whole.
Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts representatives would discuss the construction of the expensive resort and all the effects it may have on the state and its residents at a special public forum, which is to be held on October 21. The said representatives are researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The forum was organized by the non-profit organization Partners for a Healthier Community and is co-sponsored by the School of Public Health and Health Sciences at UMass, Baystate Health, and the Springfield Department of Health and Human Services.
Kathleen Szegda, Reasearch and Evaluation Director for Partners for a Healthier Community said that it is really important for the risks gambling poses to Massachusetts residents as well as the current status of gambling to be found out before the gambling venue is built.
The group of UMass researches has formerly conducted a survey, the results from which showed that almost 60% of the state residents believed that the expansion of the local gambling industry would have “neutral, beneficial, or very beneficial” effects on Massachusetts.
As mentioned above, the upcoming event is a public one and residents of Springfield and the state as a whole will be more than welcome to attend it and voice their opinion about the construction of the $800-million MGM casino.
It was only yesterday when Michael Mathis, President of MGM Springfield, announced that more changes to the expensive project are to be made public in the weeks to come. As previously reported, the gambling operator had revised its property’s design. One of the major changes implemented was the removal of the 25-story glass hotel tower and the relocation of the hotel itself onto Springfield’s Main Street.
Mr. Mathis said that they have discussed the revisions with stakeholders over the past two weeks in order to provide them with all the necessary information and to address any concerns that may have arisen.
Apart from the hotel relocation, MGM Resorts will also provide details about the offsite residential component of its project. The company said that it is considering the possibility to develop even more residential units than initially planned.
The gambling operator needs to discuss the matter with the City Council as well as with Mayor Domenic Sarno. What is more, the revised design of its hotel and casino resort needs to be approved by both local and state officials.
