A house of cards

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If the casino debate were a boxing match, it would indisputably be the longest in history — 18 months and counting with no clear winner or loser. Since the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded Foxwoods one of two city slot parlor licenses in December 2006, opponents in one corner and proponents in the other have been duking and sweating it out — round per round — in front of their fans making for one hair-splitting fight. And just when it appears one contender has the upper hand, the other delivers a blow straight to the gut.

Take what happened to Foxwoods in recent months. April 2, the Supreme Court awarded the Connecticut-based organization its Commercial Entertainment District legislation, ruling on a grievance the casino group filed citing the City and Council was stalling its efforts at Columbus Boulevard and Reed Street through a series of bills and rezoning; the ruling was the same one the high court made in SugarHouse’s favor a month earlier. As a result, Foxwoods is in the process of securing building and zoning permits from the City and finalizing plans to release bid packages for construction materials, spokeswoman Maureen Garrity told the Review, declining to give a timeframe for the groundbreaking. "We’re pleased the Supreme Court ruled as they did and we’re anxious to move this process forward," she said.

June 3, Lady Luck smiled on the house again when the Gaming Control Board issued Foxwoods a Category 2 Slot Operator license — a big step in getting the dice rolling, according to Foxwoods officials. In a press release issued that day, Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia General Manager James L. Dougherty called it a "significant milestone" going on to say, "The issuance of the license formalizes the license awarded to Foxwoods in December 2006 and signifies that Foxwoods has satisfied all of its present requirements regarding its ability to successfully build and operate the casino as presented to the board. We have worked diligently to ensure that the Gaming Control Board is completely satisfied with the Foxwoods project and assure them we are capable of delivering a world-class casino that will bring tremendous economic benefits to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."

Buoyed by things seemingly going its way, Foxwoods announced five days after it got the license it had hired three executives to join its team as it "prepares for the start of construction," a press release said. The newly minted were Brian R. Ford, former global director of Ernst & Young’s Gaming Industry Services Group; Jeffrey Wosencroft, former chief of staff to the chairman of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation; and Leonard B. Shore, an executive with Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust. They will be based out of company headquarters in Connecticut.

But according to Casino Free Philadelphia co-founder Daniel Hunter, while events over recent months have fallen in Foxwoods’ favor, one very important fact casino opponents are taking full credit for deserves mentioning: It’s been almost two years since both casino groups were granted licenses and no casinos have been built in the city.

"These sites [along the waterfront] are notoriously bad and more and more people are beginning to realize how bad they really are," Hunter said.

Just when it appeared Foxwoods was edging out its opponent, a group of politicians announced June 10 it was taking the wind out of Foxwoods and SugarHouse’s sails.

State Sen. Vince Fumo, along with state Reps. Dwight Evans and Bill Keller, introduced Senate Bill 1487 that seeks alternative locations for both sites. The bill also would allow casinos to be situated around Philadelphia International Airport, currently off-limits because of a state prohibition on a second gambling establishment — the first being Harrah’s Chester Casino & Racetrack — being located within 10 miles of each other.

In what some opponents, like Pennsport’s Mary Reinhart, are calling the biggest coup of all, Gov. Ed Rendell issued a statement June 11 after Fumo, Keller and Evans made their move saying he wants to meet with Foxwoods and SugarHouse officials to see if other non-riverfront locations could be explored. Rendell cited resistance to the sites by politicians, including Mayor Michael Nutter, as the reason for the meeting.

"With the coming of the Nutter administration, the political landscape had changed and the mindset at City Hall had changed, so the governor agreed to try and convene a meeting at which there could be frank and open discussion," Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo told the Review.

That meeting would likely take place in Philadelphia in the coming weeks, he added.

Casino Free’s Hunter has another theory: "I think there’s a lot of political pressure building on the governor and I think his hand is being forced. I think all of us who have been organizing and involved in this should certainly feel proud about the work that has happened. To have come this far is great, but there’s still the final push and a serious push that still is because there are very powerful forces opposed to it."

Keller thinks a meeting is a needed step.

"We get all these smart people in one room and I hope there will be a good resolution for the gaming industry, the citizens of South Philadelphia and Pennsylvania as a whole. It’s in everyone’s interest — including the casino operators — to sit down and work out this problem," Keller said.

While open to a powwow, the governor cautioned against getting too excited because the only way the casinos will move is voluntarily since the Gaming Control Board has already spoken.

Still, on "the frontlines," as Reinhart calls home since it is so close to the proposed site, many neighbors of the resident of the 100 block of Manton Street popped champagne upon hearing the news, elated and believing salvation was at hand.

"It was wonderful to see all of [the politicians] saying all of the things we all have yearned to hear for all these months and all these years: That these casinos are in the wrong place and that they must be moved. And that we the people must have our long-delayed say in the whole process," Reinhart told the Review.

Garrity said Foxwoods remains committed to the South Philly site, but is open to discussing options. However, moving fails to take into account crucial aspects, she added.

"The reality is that hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in acquisition, development, licensing and planning costs based on the good-faith reliance that the City and State would do what the current legislation requires them to do," Garrity said. "The proposed bill also ignores the Supreme Court’s ruling that supports Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia’s right to build and move the project forward. The Supreme Court was very clear — the City cannot determine casino sites. The court has also been clear in its mandate to the City that it must comply with the law and allow our project to move forward."

Contact Staff Writer Lorraine Gennaro at lgennaro@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.