Bart Blatstein’s casino proposal got a lift this week when the city endorsed it and another Center City bid.
But Blatstein and his Tower Investments — whose developments like the Piazza at Schmidt's and Liberties Walk have had a $1 billion economic impact on the Northern Liberties neighborhood — continues to address critics of his plan.
“This is a big project that could have a transformational impact,” Blatstein said from his office in Northern Liberties. “It offers a people a late-night Philly, so they can have dinner and see a show. It’s a dimension that doesn’t exist now.”
The Provence, as the project would be known, calls for remaking three blocks of Callowhill from Broad westward. It would use the former Philadelphia Inquirer building (400 N. Broad St.) as a 125-room hotel, while the main casino portion would extend along the 1500 block of Callowhill. An existing parking garage on the 1600 block would also be part of the complex.
In addition to slots and table games, the site would have a shopping “village,” eight restaurants, a theater, private swim clubs, meeting-and-event space, nightclub, spa-and-fitness center.
It would also have a botanical garden and space for small car shows, which Blatstein said could dovetail with the Pennsylvania Convention Center’s two largest gate shows: The Philadelphia Flower Show and the Philadelphia Auto Show. Blatstein said he has secured financing commitments to more than cover the $700 million projected cost.
"I'm from Philly. I was born and raised here. I have been in business 36 years," Blatstein said. "We respect the stakeholders and we'll modify where it's needed." The Provence is one of six proposals for one casino license in Philadelphia.
Alan Greenberger, deputy mayor of economic development, testified at a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board hearing in Philadelphia this week that the city favors development of a Center City casino, saying it would spark economic development and cause the least harm to existing casinos. He specifically cited the Provence and the Market8 proposal, which would be on the 800 block of Market Street, which is being proposed by developers Ken Goldenberg and David Adelman.
The Provence was projected to have the greatest economic impact, the city argued.
Still, as we all know, getting an endorsement in Philadelphia does not always carry weight in Harrisburg.
So Blatstein continues to refine the proposal and respond to criticism.
Three of the most common criticisms:
• Lack of parking. Blatstein counters that the site would have three separate parking garages, with a total of 2,400 parking spaces.
• Traffic is already congested. Blatstein argues that the casino would draw many of its patrons at off hours, not at rush hour. He also proposes routes into the casino that would avoid some of the worst intersections. "Our busy hours would be the opposite of rush hour. We'd be busy evenings and weekends," Blatstein said.
• The neighborhood already shot down a proposal for a Phillies stadium nearly a decade ago. Blatstein said the two developments cannot be compared because a stadium draws a bigger crowd in a more condensed timeframe, creating traffic both on the sidewalks and in streets.
There are five other casino proposals that might take issue with Blatstein’s point of view. And of course it’s still months before regulators will make a decision, so we’ll see how the debate progresses.
Source: Philadelphia Business Journal
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