Casino promises Wynn win for North Shore businesses

LYNN – Wynn Resorts plans to spend millions of dollars building its Everett casino and hire thousands of people. And that is good news to Ron Trapasso.The Atwill Furniture owner makes and repairs furniture on Essex Street, and he sat with 35 other local business owners and residents Wednesday in the Lynn Museum listening to Wynn community relations director John Tocco talk about work and business opportunities at Wynn Everett.Those opportunities, Tocco told his Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce audience, include “millions of dollars” spent on products and services ranging from shoe heels to furniture to more expensive items.?Maybe we could do some business; I?m open to ideas – their casinos are very tasteful,” Trapasso said.Wynn, according to its website, is building a $1.6 billion resort casino with more than 600 hotel rooms, restaurants, meeting spaces – even ice skating, according to Tocco – along the Mystic River. He said construction is scheduled to start next spring with 4,000 construction workers to be hired and 4,000 permanent casino jobs. “There is a tremendous opportunity for everyone,” he said.Swampscott resident Marianne McDermott attended Tocco?s presentation to learn how Wynn?s opportunities translate into potential entry-level jobs for people she assists through The Caleb Group, a housing opportunity organization.?I?m also interested in how it?s going to affect the local economy,” she said.Tocco said that effect will be significant with Wynn spending $100 million annually to maintain its resort with $80 million of that amount spent locally. He said the volume of business Wynn Everett anticipates seeing will even keep people employed repairing broken high heels.?We are going to need cobblers, locksmiths, all sorts of businesses. As opportunities roll forward, we are going to keep the chamber in the loop,” Tocco said.Chamber President/CEO Leslie Gould said Wynn Everett provides opportunities for chamber member businesses to grow, in part by becoming preferred vendors serving the Everett resort.?This is a big deal,” she said.Tocco said the average annual income for Wynn?s permanent employees will be $51,000 with many jobs attracting large tips from casino patrons. Potential vendors can register online to launch the approval process for doing business with Wynn.Wynn has already signed project labor agreements with building trade unions, and $200 million in annual casino revenue will be mitigation money dedicated to a specific spending goals, including education and local spending.Lynn will be one of the mitigation beneficiaries, Tocco said.