SPRINGFIELD — The burst of gunshots sounded like fireworks — pop, pop, pop — then a car came careening around the corner, tearing down Main Street just a couple of blocks from the MGM Resorts casino being built downtown.
“They were shooting at each other from two cars,” recalled Kim Dimaio, 59, who saw the recent incident unfold. “And it was only eight o’clock in the morning.”
No one was hurt, but the brazen daylight shooting was a grim reminder of the street crime that has long plagued this city’s South End, where the $950 million casino and hotel complex is slated to open in the fall of 2018. Supporters tout the casino as a catalyst for a downtown renaissance, but the city’s crime-ridden reputation — and reality — could prove a major obstacle to its success, particularly in an increasingly competitive New England casino market. City officials acknowledge that Springfield’s rough image could undercut efforts to improve it, but say they are determined to fight the problem head-on. “We’re trying very hard to change the reality on the ground and to change the perception of crime in Springfield,” said Mayor Dominic J. Sarno. “There’s a lot of work for us to do.”The project’s design, which seeks to blur the line between the casino and its surroundings, makes crime in the downtown area an especially fraught issue. Unlike many casinos, MGM Springfield is not intended to be a world unto itself, sealed off from its surroundings. Advertisement Instead, it is designed to break the “casino as an island” mold, and make the downtown, from the convention center to the symphony orchestra, part of the overall casino experience. But for that style to succeed, patrons must feel safe walking through the area, where drug use and prostitution is sometimes on display on street corners. City Council president Michael Fenton said downtown crime is on the decline, but the city’s image remains a concern.“We have a perception problem,” he said. “People don’t want to come into the city. They say, ‘I’m not going into that war zone.’”Richard McGowan, a Boston College professor and gambling specialist, said the casino industry is closely watching how the urban model will fare in Springfield. Located two hours from Boston and three from New York City, the casino will need to take advantage of its urban setting to succeed, he said. “The key to making the Springfield casino a successful resort casino rather than a mere day-hop casino is the idea that patrons can come and walk around city and take in” some of the city’s other attractions, such as the Basketball Hall of Fame, McGowan said. “The city can make the casino venue much more appealing.” In that vein, MGM is going to substantial lengths to bring the casino into the downtown fold, including a public plaza, ice skating rink, and cinema and bowling alley. Prodded by local history buffs, MGM has also pledged to preserve all or a portion of several treasured buildings, including the Union House, a four-story hotel stylish enough in its day, 1847, to host President James Polk for an overnight stay. “We entered Springfield with a great deal of confidence that we could attract new tourism and employ thousands, so naturally we care about public safety,” said Michael Mathis, MGM’s top executive in Springfield.A number of casinos have been built in struggling downtown areas, including St. Louis, Detroit, and Cleveland, sometimes replacing faded industries like steel. But most destination casinos are self-contained, and very few patrons venture beyond the parking lot. Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun, for example, were built in the woods of rural Eastern Connecticut, and neither the Wynn Resorts casino in Everett or the tribal casino planned for Taunton will seek to interact with existing neighborhoods. Wynn Boston Harbor, now under construction, sits between the Mystic River and busy Route 99, while the Taunton casino would replace a mostly empty office park, far from downtown.Springfield, a minority-majority city of about 150,000, has steadily lost its industrial base since the 1970s, and currently ranks near the bottom of the state in income and educational attainment.Sarno, a longtime casino proponent, said city officials are trying to reduce crime on a number of fronts. They are underwriting the cost of expanding childhood education programs such as Head Start, and are ramping up police coverage in the area. Already, an antigang unit is stationed a few blocks from the casino’s 14-acre campus, and Sarno has unveiled a plan to station officers around the clock at a half-dozen fixed posts in the neighborhood. “That way, people will always know where to find a cop,” he said.The $25 million MGM is pledging in annual payments to the city has begun to pay dividends, Sarno said. This year, the city graduated 60 officers from the police academy, the largest class in 20 years, he said. So far this year, overall crime is down almost 10 percent.“I wish I could snap my fingers and crime would disappear, but crime will happen,” he said. “We’re concentrating on getting the violent, repeat offenders off the street. The truly despicable ones, they gotta go.”Sarno said he believes the city is on the cusp of a renaissance. New market-rate housing is being built downtown, a $90 million redevelopment of Union Station is nearly completed, and a $95 million rail car factory is set to open in 2018.But some remain skeptical. Mike Boduch, 68, who grew up in Springfield before moving to suburban Wilbraham, drives down to Mohegan Sun a couple of times a week with his wife. They would gladly save the time and gas money by heading to Springfield, just 10 minutes away. But he generally avoids downtown and his wife refuses to go there altogether. “It all depends on what the mayor and MGM do,” he said, motioning to a towering crane as it set the casino’s steel girders into place. “If they bring in more police, people will come. If not, people will say, ‘Hey, it’s not worth the risk.’”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 > |
|---|
Copyright © 2024 ToCasino.net Online Casino. All Rights Reserved. Designed by