PHILADELPHIA Standing on the top deck of a parking garage he
hopes to replace with the Provence casino, developer Bart Blatstein on
Wednesday introduced two high-profile New York chefs who want to join him as
restaurant partners.
TV personality Tom Colicchio of Top Chef and Manhattan
restaurateur Andrew Carmellini said they would open restaurants if Blatstein's
project is selected for the city's second casino license.
Both chefs declared Philadelphia "a great food
city."
Blatstein "didn't have to sell me very hard," said
Colicchio, Top Chef's head judge and owner of the Craft restaurants in New
York.
Colicchio said he would open a steak house, while
Carmellini, who runs three restaurants in Lower Manhattan, said he would
feature Italian cuisine.
With less than two weeks before the state Gaming Control
Board holds final hearings on the suitability of five casino proposals,
Blatstein was anxious to tout his project, proposed for Callowhill Street
between Broad and 17th Streets.
In addition to his plans for restaurants, the developer is
engaged in behind-the-scenes talks with neighborhood groups to nail down the
final terms of a "community benefits agreement."
An agreement under consideration would expand security
around the site and surrounding neighborhoods, including cameras and foot and
vehicle patrols, said Kevin Greenberg, a lawyer working for a coalition of
about 20 groups to negotiate an agreement.
It also includes commitments to upgrade lighting, control
signage, and make traffic and street improvements. Neighbors, too, would be
given preference for jobs and vendor contracts.
Under the pact - first reported on Wednesday by the
Philadelphia Daily News - Blatstein's Tower Entertainment would provide
$300,000 a year for five years to a nonprofit dedicated to neighborhood groups
and projects. The amount would rise to $450,000 a year, according to a draft of
the agreement obtained by The Inquirer.
In addition, seven days after the completion of an
agreement, Tower would pay an additional $90,000 to cover legal and other
professional fees for the North Broad Community Coalition, an umbrella group
for about 20 community groups, schools, and religious organizations.
The agreement needs to be approved by the coalition and five
others: organizations for the Logan Square, Callowhill and West Poplar
neighborhoods; the J.R. Masterman Home and School Association; and the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is building a temple nearby.
Some groups have decided to actively oppose the Provence.
Two schools and Congregation Rodeph Shalom have intervened in the casino
proceedings as opponents.
By signing the community benefits agreement, groups will
agree not to actively oppose the licensing of the project.
Sarah McEneaney, president of the Callowhill Neighborhood
Association, said while the proposed agreement is under discussion, her
organization would have no comment.
Greenberg said organizations are in the process of
"reviewing and tweaking" the document. He said each group will decide
whether it wants "to sign or not sign" the agreement by next week.
The Provence is one of five projects being considered for a
license. Others include Market8 in Center City and three projects in South
Philadelphia: Casino Revolution, Hollywood Casino Philadelphia, and Live! Hotel
& Casino.
Paul Boni, a local activist with the national group Stop
Predatory Gambling, argues against community agreements. "The harm to the
community that will be done by a casino far outweighs any mitigation
money," Boni said. "All you're really doing is helping the casino's
public relations."
Blatstein would like an agreement by Jan. 28, when he is
scheduled to appear before the gaming board.
He said he had been working with neighbors "from day
one."
Having a signed agreement before the hearing would make it
"more relevant," he said.
When asked what would happen if there was no signed
agreement by then, Blatstein said, "I haven't thought past that."
Source: Philly.com
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