You just knew that as soon as the SugarHouse and Foxwoods casinos paid up their $50 million licensing fees, which they did on Wednesday, the political pressure to build them would follow suit. Foxwoods said it has to pay $400,000 a month debt service on the license.
Sure enough, Mayor John Street wrote a letter to council the next day asking them to stop delaying approve the zoning and land-use legislation necessary for the two plans, and let the tax dollars start flowing.
Councilman Frank DiCicco, whose district includes Foxwoods in South Philadelphia and SugarHouse in Fishtown/Northern Liberties, told the mayor that he still lacked answers on economic impact, traffic, and whether the projects could secure waterfront land rights. (The computer rendering of Foxwoods along the Delaware River above won't look the same without those rights) Read DiCicco's response here.
Comments (3)
I see who the Mayor really works for, and it isn't Philadelphia
Posted by Mark Chalupa | October 20, 2007 7:34 AM
Posted on October 20, 2007 07:34
The SugarHouse can't be build fast enough for my family. We need the jobs and we're tired of looking at a blighted, rat invested vacant lot that closes off our neighborhood from the river. Enough is Enough! Mayor Street is finally doing his job. Let him do it.
Posted by Fishtown Lifer | October 20, 2007 8:57 AM
Posted on October 20, 2007 08:57
As PennDot's manager for 30 years, now retired, I cannot imagine what traffic in the area around a Casino on Delaware Ave. will be like. I have seen the worst jams on I-95, in my career, but to add Casino check-ins at 4:00 p.m. and morning check outs, spells disaster for rush hour traffic. Then comes entertainment, does John Street know what it's like down there with the current nightclub problems? Well he will when they meet the casino drunks. I predict a disatrous concoction on Interstate 95. People are going to die.
Posted by Frank Graff Sr. | October 22, 2007 5:04 AM
Posted on October 22, 2007 05:04