 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Foxwoods Casino's October 16th letter to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Source: Paul Boni, esq.
Date: 10/17/2009
On October 16, 2009, the attorneys representing the proposed Foxwoods Casino, Cozen O'cConnor,
sent a letter to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The letter provides a
status report regarding Foxwoods attempts to build a casino at Delaware Avenue
and Reed Street. Contact mattdejulio@aol.com if you would to see a copy of this letter (pdf file)
Cozen Letter
|
Mayor supports Strawbridges for Slots Parlor
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
Date: 3/14/2009
Mayor Nutter supports a slots parlor in the historic Strawbridges Building at 8th and Market Streets 2 blocks from Society Hill's border at 8th and Walnut. The mayor has offered his support for the site even though no plans have been presented to the public yet, and the public has seen no independent studies of the traffic, social and economic impacts that would support such a significant development in the heart of the city. An average of thirty thousand cars per day were anticipated for each waterfront site. Mayor Nutter also supports building a "temporary casino" at the proposed SugarHouse site on the waterfront near the neighborhoods of Northern Liberties and Fishtown, which the Mayor wants to see open by the end of the year. Society Hill Civic Association opposes casinos being built near neighborhoods, and accordingly opposes the two proposed waterfront casinos, as well as the two sites Foxwoods has announced on Market Street between city hall and the historic district. Read Inquirer article at www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20090314_Nutter_says_he_s_not_blocking_slots.html
Contact your elected officials with your views about a slots parlor near Society Hill and the historic district: Mayor Nutter michael.nutter@phila.gov Councilman Frank DiCicco frank.dicicco@phila.gov State Representative Michael O'Brien mobrien@pahouse.net
|
Society Hill Civic Association Board votes overwhelmingly to oppose casinos on Market Street. PlanPhilly article on Board vote at
Source: PlanPhilly.com
Date: 3/10/2009
February 26, 2009
The Society Hill Civic Association is now officially opposing the location of Foxwoods Casino at The Gallery at Market East.
Society Hill Civic has long been part of the opposition to riverfront sites for either Foxwoods or SugarHouse casinos, saying that both the Fishtown and South Philadelphia locations were too close to residential neighborhoods. But the association had never - until earlier this month - taken a stand against the proposed Gallery location, which Foxwoods officials announced they were considering last fall.
SHCA leaders had said it was not possible for them to take a position unless and until they got more in formation about the project and its impact.
But on Feb. 18, the majority of the board members changed their minds, voting in favor of this statement: "Consistent with our previously expressed position, SHCA continues to oppose Casinos near residential neighborhoods and, accordingly, opposes casinos at Market East."
Board member Rosanne Loesch said in a telephone interview Thursday that over time, the board started to realize that no study, whatever it concluded, could convince them a Gallery location was a good idea because of The Gallery's proximity to residential areas.
Loesch noted that the board members had no idea when they voted that Foxwoods is now pondering a move to the former Strawbridge's building at the other end of The Gallery. Loesch said she just found out about the latest proposal on Wednesday night.
A Strawbridge's location would put the casino closer to Society Hill, and also closer to the city's important historic sites, she said. "We are going to fight this with all the strength of our Civic Association."
Posted by Kellie Patrick Gates. Contact her atkelliespatrick@gmail.com
|
Society Hill Civic Association Resolution Regarding Proposed Market Street Site for Foxwoods Casino
Source: SHCA
Date: 10/17/2008
AND NOW, this 15th day of October, 2008, at its regularly scheduled Board Meeting, by a duly conducted vote of the Board of Directors, The Society Hill Civic Association RESOLVES as follows regarding the Foxwoods proposal to locate a casino with slot machines on Market Street:
Whereas, the SHCA recognizes and accepts that two casinos with slots machines are to be built in the City of Philadelphia under Act 71;
Whereas, the proposed Market Street site was chosen in closed door meetings that did not include any input from affected communities, any design proposal or impact studies, or any objective and public assessment of how the Gallery site compares to a number of other possible sites as alternatives to both the proposed Foxwoods and SugarHouse waterfront locations,
The SHCA opposes the closed process by which the Market Street site was chosen, and therefore has no confidence in the result.
Therefore, be it Resolved, the SHCA cannot and does not support the proposed Market Street site until and unless, the following occurs:
The City conducts an open and transparent process to consider all possible casino sites in Philadelphia, including those within 10 miles of racetracks with slot machines (“racinos”);
That each potential site undergoes a full, fair and public cost/benefit analysis;
That each site is evaluated with full public participation;
That the resiting process affords proper respect for the general and widely held principle of the ballot initiative of May 2007 such that a casino is not situated abutting or in close proximity to residences, schools, playgrounds and places of worship;
That the resiting process affords proper respect for the historic and cultural resources of the surrounding area;
Be it Further Resolved that, given that the process for selecting the Market Street site lacked the transparency, objective assessment and community participation to which the citizens of Philadelphia are entitled under democratic principles of self governance, the Society Hill Civic Association cannot accept the Market Street site, or any other site similarly identified in the future, until the principles in this Resolution are followed.
|
Evans, Fumo give casinos an ultimatum on sites
Source: Amy Worden and Jeff Shields Inquirer Staff
Date: 7/4/2008
Move it or lose it. That was the message from two powerful Philadelphia lawmakers to the Foxwoods and SugarHouse casinos last night. House Appropriations Chairman Dwight Evans and State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo said at a news conference that they would draft legislation to remove the casinos' tax breaks if they did not abandon their proposed sites on the Delaware River waterfront.
The locations, which were decided upon 21/2 years ago, are "untenable and contrary to the public interest," the Democrats said in a statement. "We are sending a message to citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that we are trying to fix the problem," said Evans, joined by nine Philadelphia-area lawmakers in addition to Fumo. "We didn't think it would be the problem it is today, but it has created tension for people in the community as well as politically."
Fumo said they also were sending a message that if casino companies continued the legal battle, they would be stripped of their 10-year tax abatements. And he suggested the lawmakers might go further. Back then, "we started making spit balls. This time, they'll be atom bombs," he said.
Gov. Rendell, in an interview last night, said he would meet with all parties within the next two to three weeks, but he cautioned that any casino relocation has to be voluntary. "Under the law, the location can't be changed."
On Wednesday, Evans bashed a proposal to make the casinos ineligible for tax breaks. But he had to make the deal to clear the way for a bill extending state tax breaks for a University City site to entice BlackRock Inc., a financial-services firm, to move 1,100 high-paying jobs to Philadelphia. "We are happy to have a conversation with Dwight Evans or anyone else about why our site is the best site and resiting is not an option," SugarHouse spokeswoman said Leigh Whitaker last night.
Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or aworden@phillynews.com. Inquirer staff writer Mario F. Cattabiani contributed to this article.
|
|
|
| |
©2007 Society Hill Civic Association
P.O. Box 63503 Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: 215-629-1288 Fax: 215-629-9914 info@societyhillcivic.org
DHTML Menu By Milonic JavaScript |
|
|
|
|
|