Lynn to benefit from casino

LYNN – Lynn is set to benefit from an agreement between Revere casino proponents and seven communities, Mohegan Sun and Suffolk Downs executives announced Tuesday.The pact is part of the bid to get state Gaming Commission approval sometime this spring to operate a casino at the Suffolk Downs racetrack.A statement issued by Mohegan and track operators outlined “agreements or agreements in principle” with Lynn and six other communities, including Salem, “with local impact payments that total $3.75 million among the seven communities.”?Each of these communities have been a great neighbor to Revere and Suffolk Downs, and these agreements illustrate Mohegan Sun Massachusetts? commitment to work in partnership with our neighboring communities,” said Mitchell Etess, CEO of the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority.Lynn Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy, in a letter to Suffolk executives last October, asked for the city to be given surrounding community status under state law in connection with a Suffolk casino proposal. In making the request, she cited significant transportation challenges facing the city.Mohegan Sun Massachusetts expects to spend about $50 million annually on goods and services from businesses located within a 15-mile radius of Revere, if a casino license is approved for the track.The statement also noted small businesses in Lynn and the other communities will benefit from the agreements.?As a gateway to the North Shore, the kind of development that Mohegan Sun is proposing provides an amazing opportunity to transform this area,” the statement quoted Leslie Gould, president and CEO of the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce, as saying. “Establishing partnerships within the region is a key to all of our success.”The $1.3 billion proposed resort casino includes two hotels on 42 of Suffolk Downs? 52 acres in Revere with, according to the statement, 500 hotel rooms, 170,000 square feet of floor space and a 10,000-square-foot spa.?Our relationships with our surrounding communities is very important, and we appreciate the hard work and thoughtful approach of each of these city leaders to reach these agreements,” said Chip Tuttle, Chief Operating Officer of Suffolk Downs. “Mohegan Sun Massachusetts will not only preserve the future of thoroughbred racing at Suffolk Downs, but it will create new economic and tourism opportunities for the entire region.”Mohegan Sun spends nearly $500 million annually on goods and services from local vendors near its Connecticut and Pennsylvania facilities, noted the statement.