Nearly six months after Foxwoods filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the highest court in the state rejected the casino group’s request to force the city to let construction commence at the Columbus-Boulevard-and-Reed-Street site. In the June 1 suit, Foxwoods complained City Council’s switching of zoning for the site earlier this year from commercial to residential was illegal, so it wanted things reverted back and for the city to issue building permits so construction could get rolling on the river.
Nov. 20, the court decided it did not have the jurisdiction to force the city to issue building permits and sent that request down to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for an expedited review. According to Foxwoods spokeswoman Maureen Garrity of Tierney Communications, the lower court has not yet ruled nor has it given any indication as to when it might.
"While the Court has not granted the relief we requested, it has acknowledged the Gaming Control Board’s authority to locate this project on our current site," Garrity said. "It has also recognized our ability to obtain relief and has transferred the case to the Court of Common Pleas on an expedited basis.
"We intend to vigorously continue our pursuit of the approvals required to permit construction of our facility, both in the courts and in our dealings with the city."
The move is yet another delay for Foxwoods and a victory for casino opponents, many of whom live in the Pennsport neighborhood and surrounding areas that would be most heavily impacted by the $560-million project.
Mary Reinhart, from the 100 block of Manton Street in Pennsport, could not be happier with the decision.
"I am delighted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of all of us Philadelphians — people who would suffer terribly if these casinos were to be thrust so cruelly into our lovely neighborhoods. We are even more encouraged now in our fight to move Foxwoods and SugarHouse far away and we will never, ever give up that fight," Reinhart said.
December will be two years since the Gaming Control Board awarded Foxwoods and SugarHouse two of five gaming licenses in the state.
