DAN KEATING, a general in the army that casino developer
Steve Wynn assembled to win a Philadelphia license, spent the late summer in an
elaborate war room, waging a battle for public opinion.
From the penthouse of the Phoenix building near City Hall,
Keating invited reporters, neighborhood groups and elected officials to examine
detailed exhibits ranking the six bids for the city's second casino license.
Wynn Resorts, which proposed a sprawling development on 60
acres along the Delaware River in Fishtown, naturally won top marks from
Keating, the man who was going to build it all.
Market8, the 1.9-acre bid by developer Ken Goldenberg and a
group of investors at 8th and Market streets, ranked last in every category,
according to Keating, who built the SugarHouse casino in Fishtown and has been
involved in casino projects around the state and country.
Wynn suddenly withdrew his casino license bid two week ago.
And now Keating has joined Market8, a project he was panning
just a few months ago.
Keating, in a statement released yesterday by Market8, said
he "worked very hard at promoting [Wynn's bid] and distinguishing it from
the other proposed projects."
With Wynn gone, Keating said he and his team "more
fully understand" the Market8 bid after meeting with Goldenberg and seeing
the "thoughtfulness that has gone into mitigating the challenges" he
previously raised.
"We now believe that in every important respect, the
Market8 project stands head and shoulders above all other proposed projects, and
that this is an opportunity that it would be unfortunate for the city and
commonwealth to miss."
That's quite a turnaround for Keating's opinion of Market8.
Keating's rankings - which rated projects on neighborhood
impact, parking availability and convenience, impact on traffic and nongaming
amenities - listed Market8 as problematic in every criteria.
He gave Market8 a failing grade and predicted the project
would have a "major" impact on the surrounding neighborhood's nearby
schools, churches and other institutions. He also said 61 percent of the
parking for the project would not be at the location.
The state Gaming Control Board is accepting written comments
about the five bidders until Dec. 31 at ph.ly/casino-comment.
The board will hold suitability hearings for the five
bidders at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Jan. 28, 29 and 30.
Source: Philly.com
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