Deadline nears for casino license applicants' local impact studies

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Deadline nears for casino license applicants' local impact studies

City Hall put out a reminder Monday to applicants for the second casino license in Philadelphia: Don't forget to tell us by Thursday what the local impact of your plans will be.

Applications for a second casino license aren't due to the state Gaming Control Board in Harrisburg until Nov. 15.

But Alan Greenberger, deputy mayor of economic development, cited an appendix to the application form that requires investor groups to provide local impact and engineering reports, as well as traffic studies, a week in advance of the deadline.

There's a checklist of information to include, such as any adverse impact on transportation; transit access; housing; water and sewer systems; local police and emergency services; tourism; and historic and cultural resources.

Two groups that already have come forward with plans for projects said they would have no problem meeting the deadline.

Stadium Casino L.L.C. will be forwarding all of its documents - impact studies, engineering reports, traffic studies, and other information - by Thursday to the city, according to Joe Weinberg, president of Baltimore-based Cordish Cos. It last week signed a partnership agreement with Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment Inc. to build a $425-million-to-$500 million casino hotel at the Holiday Inn at the Stadium complex.

Developer Bart Blatstein, who is proposing a $700 million entertainment, retailing, hotel and casino project called the Provence on North Broad Street, said his reports "are already done."

While the city wants potential applicants to be aware of the need for impact studies, a spokesman for the gaming board said it was not a statutory or regulatory requirement but rather part of instructions to applicants.

Doug Harbach of the gaming board said the bureau of licensing would review each application package for completeness and then seek to have any deficiencies in information addressed.

He added that it was too "speculative" to say in advance what weight would be placed on any particular deficiency of information in applications.

 


Contact Jennifer Lin at 215-854-5659 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or on Twitter @j_linq.

Inquirer staff writer Suzette Parmley contributed to this article.

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