Just days after a judge struck down the City of Boston’s legal bid to block a resort casino in Everett, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and casino developer Steve Wynn held closed-door talks in Boston that Wynn’s side deemed “helpful.”
But Walsh and Wynn, who have feuded over the fate of the proposed $1.7 billion casino since the Las Vegas gambling mogul was awarded the coveted Greater Boston casino license, announced no agreement after the hour-long session.
“It was a helpful meeting, a productive meeting,” said Michael Weaver, a spokesman for Wynn Resorts, which last year won the state license to build a 24-story, curved-glass tower on the Mystic River waterfront.In an interview after the meeting, Walsh expressed guarded optimism about coming to terms with Wynn — eventually.“I know that we’re working on some common agreements and common goals,” he told the Globe. “We’ve had some very productive meetings as of late and we’ll see what happens.” Judge dismisses Boston lawsuit A judge chided the city for “inflammatory descriptions,” “spurious” claims, and “hyperbole” used in the complaint.But Walsh gave no indication that he would stop fighting the casino, saying that he was looking out for the interests of Boston’s residents, in particular those in the city’s Charlestown neighborhood, which is nearest the site planned for the massive casino.
“It’s not necessarily what I want from Wynn, it’s to make sure the residents of Charlestown, residents of the city are best represented, that’s my job as mayor, and I’m going to continue to do that,” he said.
The city had claimed in the suit that the State Gaming Commission’s award of the license to Wynn was “the product of a corrupt process” and that a Wynn casino would further snarl traffic in already-congested Charlestown. The suit alleged that the commission deliberately violating state statutes, gambling regulations, and codes of ethics to deliver the license to Wynn over a rival applicant.
In dismissing the suit, Judge Janet L. Sanders ruled the state Gaming Commission had acted appropriately within the discretion afforded it by the 2011 state casino law. The judge went on to chide Boston and its lawyers for “inflammatory descriptions,” “spurious” claims and “hyperbole” that “tend only to obscure the factual allegations.”
On Tuesday, neither Walsh nor Wynn publicly addressed another legal effort to stop the casino. In September, the City of Boston filed a suit that challenges the validity of a key state environmental certification issued for the resort casino project.
In the suit the City asserts that Wynn and state Environmental Secretary Matthew Beaton glossed over or ignored substantial concerns about how a casino and hotel complex would affect traffic, especially in Charlestown.
A Wynn spokesman responded to the filing of the environmental suit by calling it an “unproductive” development that was “likely to force the citizens to carry the burden of ever-increasing legal fees.”
The administration has declined to say how much it has spent on the lawsuits. The city’s lawyer in both suits, Thomas C. Frongillo, a former federal prosecutor, is being paid $490 an hour.
The bill was nearly $1.3 million through June, but Walsh officials have not released an updated figure for the fiscal year that began July 1.
Walsh communications chief Laura Oggeri said last week that “no new invoices have been paid since we last provided you with an amount paid.”
The meeting on Tuesday is the latest twist in a protracted and, at times, nasty dispute between Walsh and Wynn.
Walsh had forged an agreement with the developers of a competing proposal submitted by Mohegan Sun and the owners of the Suffolk Down race track, which would have paid the city $18 million a year.
Despite the city’s recent loss in court, Walsh may see a political upside in his battle with Wynn in positioning himself as the unrelenting defender of his city’s neighborhoods against monied casino interests -- especially if he comes away with a financial commitment from Wynn.
“I’m fighting on behalf of the people of Boston,” Walsh said last week, reacting to the city’s set-back in court. “I’m not going to roll over and not fight for the people of Boston.”
Andrew Ryan of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Sean P. Murphy can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Follow him on Twitter @spmurphyboston.| < Prev | Next > |
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