Massachusetts gambling regulators and Wynn Resorts on Wednesday formally signed the license that lets Wynn build a $1.6 billion resort casino here -- but Wynn still faces big hurdles winning state environmental approvals and City of Boston backing for critical transportation upgrades.
"Six million cars a year are going to go into the site," Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said. "Sixty-seven percent, according to the numbers we've seen, are from the Boston area. I think it's going to be higher than that. So that's a lot of traffic, a lot of wear and tear in the community of Charlestown, and we have to make sure that we protect them ... Right now, I'm just focused on making sure that I negotiate and work to make sure the people of Charlestown have the minimum amount of impact on their community."
Wynn has promised up to $76 million over 10 years on traffic and transportation upgrades in the heavily congested area around the casino site, including Routes 99, 16, and Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston.
Robert DeSalvio, the Wynn executive who will be the general manager of the resort, said, "We committed early on that the short-term improvements to Sullivan Square will be completed before the casino opens. Of course, the long-term Sullivan Square project, as you heard, has been in the works for many days. We have been waiting on the city and the community to finalize its plan. We're going to have a seat at that table. Obviously, that's a longer term project."
Massachusetts Gaming Commissioner James McHugh said: "That is a condition of the license. We issue the permit to open. So they're committed to it, and we'll enforce it."
DeSalvio said, "We're ready, willing and able to meet. We believe the mayor and his team are as well, and we look forward to very fruitful and productive meetings."
Still unresolved for Wynn is its key do-or-die state environmental approval. The Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act office has ordered Wynn to complete a so-called supplemental environmental impact report. The Wynn project is expected to add some 20,000 vehicles a day to an already badly congested set of roads in the area -- 18,848 more on Fridays, 23,764 on Saturdays -- and state officials ruled Aug. 15 they were still not persuaded Wynn's planned upgrades and new and widened lanes along portions of Route 16 (Revere Beach Parkway), Route 99, and Sullivan Square will work to prevent unacceptable traffic clogs. The state has also ordered Wynn to address a battery of unresolved complaints and concerns from the state transportation department, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, and city officials in Boston, Everett, Medford, and Somerville. They're also being required to come up with better pedestrian and bicycle access to the casino, five-star hotel and glitzy restaurants and retail complex, and to determine the feasibility of a new pedestrian bridge to the casino site over the Mystic River from the new $1 billion-plus Assembly Row development. Wynn aides said they hope to have answers to all those issues before the end of October and hope to have the SFEIR approved by year's end so they stay on track for a promised "late 2017" casino opening.
"We can't wait to get started," DeSalvio said. "We just want to get started on the project as soon as possible and can't wait to really kick this off."
Walsh denied that he was upset the Gaming Commission had chosen Wynn Resorts over the Mohegan Sun Suffolk Downs bid. "I'm not disappointed at all. I was disappointed that we weren't able to come to a better agreement prior to yesterday, but now we have an opportunity to go back. You know there's still a lot of questions about traffic," Walsh said.
And Walsh made clear that he now controls critical approvals Wynn needs to satisfy state environmental regulators and the casino commission.
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"The Gaming Commission will have some input here, but really now, from what I see at least in the foreseeable future, the conversation is between the Wynn folks and the City Hall people."
With videographers Scott Wholley and Bob Ricci and video editor Jeff Gerber.
