Sugarhouse Casino - The drama continues in Philadelphia
The never-ending controvery over casinos in Philadelphia continued this past week with two interesting updates regarding the Sugarhouse Casino:
1. Sugarhouse Casino Picks Up Foundation Permit - This could mean that construction can finally move foward. However, there are still additional hurdles for Sugarhouse such as whether they can build on state-owned riparian land, the necessity to receive sewer permits and permission from the Army Corps of Engineers regarding ongoing arccheological studies.
2. PA Supreme Court Appoints Referee to Oversee Casino Disputes in Philadelphia - This referee should be versed in kung fu, self defense and wear bullet proof gear due to the strong feelings that are felt on both sides of the issue. On a serious note, this move seems to benefit the Sugarhouse Casino to make sure that there are no more unwarranted delays from the City of Philadelphia.
It is a very controversial issue in the city. On the one hand, the immediate jobs benefit could beneft the City of Philadelphia immensely, not to mention the new jobs that would be created and the tax revenue that the City is in dire need of. The original plan was that this could allow for the long awaited tax reduction in the Business Privledge Tax that could help bring companies and jobs back to the City. One argument is that the longer the City waits on this, the greater risk there will be on the budget crisis in additon to not participating in such a vast stimulus the Casino could provide, both short term and long term in nature.
On the other hand, there is the risk that a Casino on the waterfront would increase the crime rate and provide significant traffic congestion. Further, the neighborhoods such as the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association are very concerned in terms of how a casino so close will impact the area. Other concerns relate to gambling addiction and the comparisons of how other cities like Atlantic City were negatively impacted after casino development. Further, with the City finally having a Master Plan by Penn Praxis for the River, the concerns are that casinos do not fit well into this plan.
Being a Northern Liberties resident, I would certainly like to see development on the River as it has been a wasteland for decades. I think the most important aspect for the neighborhoods would be for public access to the river as well as designated green space. Therefore, it would become a destination.
I guess the question is should a casino lead the way for future development and become that destination ? It seems like a decent fit next to Waterfront Square. Perhaps it will be the best of both worlds, having a casino and public access to the River ? But then again, are the negatives just too risky ?
What are your thoughts ?
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