Officials in New Bedford agreed to hold a citywide referendum on June 23. Therefore, residents will be able to vote for the possibility of building a $650 million hotel and casino along the city’s coast.
Ten city councilors voted in favour of the aforementioned elections, some of them urging residents to actively participate during public talks next week. Rep. Linda Morad explained that the more people vote on June 23, the greater the chance New Bedford will have of obtaining the only Southeast Massachusetts casino license. She also pointed out that she approves millions of waterfront projects because they will create new jobs.
Council President Brian K. Gomes added that city officials support casinos because the contaminated waterfront will be immediately purified as part of the construction process.
But opponents of the gambling house pointed out that its launch may prove devastating for New Bedford. 슬롯머신
But before the June 23 referendum, KG Urban Enterprises, a New York-based developer responsible for casino projects, needs to make sure there is enough equity investment to build the property. This is one of the issues that the company needs to address before applying to the Massachusetts Game Commission. As previously reported, the state’s gambling regulator has set a May 4 deadline.
Mayor John Mitchell of New Bedford said city officials would begin communicating opinions to citizens about the potential construction of the gambling house once the company applied for casino permits.
A language in the Massachusetts Game Law suggests that city dwellers should be asked a simple “yes” or “no” question to state their approval or disapproval. Election costs are paid by KG Urban.
If the project is rejected by New Bedford residents, the developer will have to wait 180 days before asking the city for a new referendum.
New Bedford is one of three cities in southeastern Massachusetts that are currently competing for the region’s only casino license.
Brockton residents can vote on May 12 to build a $650 million casino proposed by Rush Street gaming subsidiary Mass Gaming & Entertainment.
The third proposal came from Somerset. However, developer Somerset on the Move faces the same challenges as rival KG Urban, as it needs to secure sufficient equity investment for the project before May 4.