Rizzo: Casino will be boon to city

REVERE – If everything goes to plan, Revere residents could reap $40 million in annual payments from a Mohegan Sun resort-style casino, said Mayor Daniel Rizzo in his state of the city address.”To put that in perspective, that’s $600 million over the 15-year life of the license,” he said as the standing-room-only crowd burst into applause.In his speech Monday, Rizzo praised the School Department and Superintendent Paul Dakin, who was named Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year for 2013. He lauded the planned renovation of Harry Della Russo Stadium, which is scheduled to break ground next month, and The Vanguard at Waterfront Square, a 194-high end apartment complex that’s already broken ground on the waterfront. He called the $47-million project the first step in the redevelopment of the waterfront area that will bring forth a five-acre public plaza of open space with access to Revere Beach.Rizzo also discussed how improving technology has allowed him to improve services for residents and businesses alike, and he said the fiscal year 2015 budget will send a challenge to department heads. They will have to set goals and change the way they look at the budget as a whole, he said.”Performance-based management and performance-based budgeting,” he said, is the most cost effective way to maintain services.While he has increased the presence of walking patrols and community outreach, Rizzo said public safety continues to be an important issue for him as is stabilizing property taxes. He trusts that a partnership with Mohegan Sun to turn Suffolk Downs into a resort-style casino will make both those issues easier to handle.Mohegan Sun has worked up a $1.3 billion development deal that includes a myriad of improvements for Revere, but Revere voters must approve the issue one more time in a vote on Feb. 25.”If you take the time to look at it I believe you will see that it’s well worth it to come out one more time,” he said.Rizzo said he actually believes there will be a wider margin of acceptance than in November because the project will bring 2,500 construction jobs, 4,000 permanent jobs and $33 million in an up front payout to the city along with the annual payment of $40 million. Rizzo said even if Mohegan Sun doesn’t hit its anticipated revenues, the deal with the city is that it must pay a minimum of $429 million over the life of the 15-year license.”On the other hand, if it exceeds its build in estimates we could exceed $600 million,” he added.He pledged to use some of that money to put more police officers on the street, renovate or build anew the senior center and support a new youth center.The project will also provide $40 million in transportation and access improvements, which is why Rizzo said he has believed all along that despite the concern a casino will make the traffic situation worse, it will be better.”As important as (traffic) is to the city, it’s just as important to Mohegan Sun,” he said. “It does them absolutely no good if they can’t get customers in and out of the property smoothly.”This agreement is an extraordinary deal for Revere,” he went on to say. “It will ensure our economic viability for years to come. I urge you to vote on February 25.”Rizzo also went out of his way to thank a number of residents and city officials, including Rep. Kathi Anne Reinstein, who announced last week she is stepping down after 15 years. Rizzo said Revere is strong because its people are strong.”It’s been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your mayor for the last two years,” he said.