Officials for East Windsor announced late on Tuesday the proposed location for Connecticut’s third casino. If the town is selected as the preferred candidate for hosting the gambling venue, it would be located at a 33-acre parcel, right at the corner of Route 5 and Wagner Lane.
First Selectman Bob Maynard explained that the site has not been announced previously out of respect to developer CenterPlan Cos., which had proposed to build the casino.
Currently, the site accommodates two businesses – a rental and storage center and a family-owned business dealing with the sale and provision of industrial, farm, and other related services.
East Windsor residents met the announcement about the proposed location with mixed reactions. They raised various questions about the impact of the casino on the town’s school system, whether Route 5 would handle the additional traffic, and why a building on Interstate 91 and Route 5 that had formerly hosted Walmart and Showcase Cinemas has not been considered as a potential site.
People also voiced concerns that CenterPlan may not be the right developer for the state’s third casino as the company has reportedly faced certain problems with the construction of a baseball stadium in Hartford.
The announcement about the potential location of the new gambling venue came almost two months after Connecticut’s two federally recognized tribes – the Mohegans and the Mashantucket Pequots, collected applications from interested towns and developers.
Last year, the two tribes were authorized to operate a joint casino in a bid to fight off competition from neighboring Massachusetts and to keep much-needed gambling revenue and jobs within the state’s borders. They are expected to announce their decision on which one of all applicants would be chosen to host the venue later this year. There are four municipalities competing for the casino license – East Hartford, Hartford, Windsor Locks, and East Windsor.
At first, tribal officials planned to announce their decision before December 15. However, on December 11, they said that they needed a bit more time to review all applications thoroughly and comprehensively.
Commenting on their further actions, East Windsor First Selectman Maynard said that they would now “wait to hear from tribal nations” before doing anything else. The official also pointed out that any future decisions regarding the establishment of the casino would most certainly be made through a referendum.
