Join us as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board decides on who will operate five slot casinos in the state, including two in Philadelphia.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
To recap...
Philly will have two casinos, one in South Philly on Columbus Blvd. (just north of Home Depot and WalMart); and one in Fishtown, on North Delaware Ave. at Shackamaxon St. in Fishtown
I'm super surprised. Even the Las Vegas odds makers in the DN's graphic on the casinos (on 12-18-06) gave Foxwoods perty long odds.
Their faves were Pinn and Sugar in odds making land.
I think Trump could try that site again next go round. It just needed the PennDOT to do for it what it did for Pinnacle, a traffic study and plan with the initial proposal.
You'd think PennDOT would have done that for all of the proposals, not just Pinnacle.
Well, the two worst locations were chosen considering Neighborhood impact. I foresee For Sale signs up in Fishtown and South Philadelphia, two of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Philly.
A 3 mile trek from Fishtown to South Phille Shopping just became a 45 minute proposition.
Say goodbye to: South Street, the Liberty Bell, the Italian Market, the Delaware River waterfront, the hip, upcoming neighborhood of Fishtown...and say hello to: drugs, prostitutes, run-down houses, traffic hell from out of town, and o yes -- the COMPLETED sale of City Hall and Harrisburg State Houses.
Thank you Vince Fumo, John Perzel, Ed Rendell, Bill DeWeese, Frank DiCicco, John Street, and Jim Kenney!!!!
As a Fishtown resident, thanks to a corrupt and secretive process I will now have a Casino within blocks of my house, with no realistic traffic plan. I now have one foot out the door, and undoubtedly I will be taking my IT salary out of Philadelphia. Congratulations.
don't sell your house just yet -Game ain't over - as Jeff Shields reports, the lawsuits are coming and there's currently a suit to overturn Act 71 as it applies to philly by CasinoFreePhilly. BUt it's true that Rendell and co. sold the city out.
You don't put a Casino in, then plan for make highway upgrades later.
Look at South Columbus Boulevard, they put in those big box stores with no traffic plan or upgrades, and is is a FUCKING disaster down there. To add insult to injury, now they are going to put a Casino down there.
Wrt Fishtown, people travelling south on 95 to Sugar House will take the Girard Street exit straight onto Girard St into Fishtown. They will then have to take residential streets throught Fishtown to the Casino.
PennDOT shutting down and upgrading any of these interchanges, especially after the Casinos are up and running? Forget about it.
Given that there are sure to be many lawsuits filed on behalf of neighbors, other parties, etc. it's pretty likely the only gambling Philadelphians are going to be doing anytime soon is in Chester or Bensalem. They picked the absolutely two worst locations. What about the Penn Praxis riverfront planning group? Is that another Street sham?
People didn't like the traffic and smoke and fumes when Budd was fully operational either. Yes, it's a brownfield that can use re-developing but this was the WRONG kind of development. The site is already being redeveloped with the Kroc Foundation's new Salvation Army, Temple Health Care, etc. Casinos have no place there (or anywhere in the city).
Hello, the Budd/Trump site in East Falls/Nicetown was clearly the worst option in terms of neighborhood impact, since it was tucked between several neighborhoods, a housing project, and schools. At least the river sites aren't surrounded by neighhorhoods on ALL sides. That said, the covert deal-making process for these casinos shows that we only live in a democracy when the politicians can't make a lot of money off of an issue.
I can't wait to see Fast Eddie, John Street, Fattah and Fat Brady running a craps game when the tables are added in 2009! Can't picture many winners there.
Let's face it, there may be some glimmer of hope but we were sold out by big money and jaded policticians. Doesn't Rendell live in East Falls which would be somewhat close to where Trump wanted to build. What about Fumo? Wouldn't his Fairmount home be affected by all the extra traffic on Kelley Drive?
To those of you threatening to leave Philadelphia when something bad happens: Shame on you. You'll have yourselves to blame if this city starts another downturn.
Which local and Commonwealth officials did you vote for? How, and how often, did you voice your opposition to the casinos? How will you now show your dissatisfaction?
If Philadelphia really ends up suffering because of these casinos, the suburbs will be affected, too--so you might as well plan your move well away from the region (or any region near a casino) if that's how you think you address the problem.
Are you going to move every time something happens that you don't like? That's more destructive to your community than any casino.
31 comments:
what about other sites?
Come on....what about the other places....how about a comprehensive list.
So Trump is OUT of PHILADELPHIA!!!!!!!
Mount Airy and Sands Bethworks also won.
You are doing a great job! This is very exciting! Keep up the great work!
Trump - You're FIRED!!!!!!
Yowza.
I'm super surprised. Even the Las Vegas odds makers in the DN's graphic on the casinos (on 12-18-06) gave Foxwoods perty long odds.
Their faves were Pinn and Sugar in odds making land.
I think Trump could try that site again next go round. It just needed the PennDOT to do for it what it did for Pinnacle, a traffic study and plan with the initial proposal.
You'd think PennDOT would have done that for all of the proposals, not just Pinnacle.
I agree - all tourist attractions should be centrally located and we need to develop our riverfront!
Well, the two worst locations were chosen considering Neighborhood impact. I foresee For Sale signs up in Fishtown and South Philadelphia, two of the fastest growing neighborhoods in Philly.
A 3 mile trek from Fishtown to South Phille Shopping just became a 45 minute proposition.
Thanks for nothing!!!
Still, it didn't help Pinnacle, did it, the PennDOT info with the initial proposal presented to the GAB.
This is great. Thanks for the up to date play by play. I've been refreshing my browser over and over. Hooray no casino in east falls!!!
A casino in North Philly is JUST what the people in North Philly want...NOT!!!!!!!!!
Say goodbye to: South Street, the Liberty Bell, the Italian Market, the Delaware River waterfront, the hip, upcoming neighborhood of Fishtown...and say hello to: drugs, prostitutes, run-down houses, traffic hell from out of town, and o yes -- the COMPLETED sale of City Hall and Harrisburg State Houses.
Thank you Vince Fumo, John Perzel, Ed Rendell, Bill DeWeese, Frank DiCicco, John Street, and Jim Kenney!!!!
I guess they are going to wait until the Penn Praxis study of the riverfront is completed before doing a center city casino on the Delaware.
And/or wait for a new mayor, since this mayor's "riverfront" debacle had to be completely thrown out the window due to the FBI probe.
I see the wisdom of deliberately NOT choosing anyone who was part of the riverfront faux bidding pay to play on the water (Keating, Johnson, West).
I liked Keating's proposal though. But he was tainted by his monetary association with Street.
As a Fishtown resident, thanks to a corrupt and secretive process I will now have a Casino within blocks of my house, with no realistic traffic plan. I now have one foot out the door, and undoubtedly I will be taking my IT salary out of Philadelphia. Congratulations.
And Foxwoods had the most community opposition.
The group will really have to address the fears of the community, ie this is not going to be AC tacky tack.
don't sell your house just yet -Game ain't over - as Jeff Shields reports, the lawsuits are coming and there's currently a suit to overturn Act 71 as it applies to philly by CasinoFreePhilly. BUt it's true that Rendell and co. sold the city out.
yes, good job. ruin the 2 neighborhoods which have just started to attract young, middle-class families back to the city center.
we wanted to buy a bigger place in S. Philly. Now our next move will be out, and that's sad.
Don't pack your bags folks, PennDOT is a slow mover.
They are going to have to get going on this, PennDOT, and it would be wise to make contact with them to urge them to hear the community.
Look at how PennDOT handled the South St. Bridge. They were mummified by the complexities.
Finally, it the bridge is to start in 2007 after a decade of dilly dallying because there was no community outrage at the delay until recently.
So be outraged at PennDOT for not addressing this sooner.
I'd like to know how people felt about the traffic around the old Budd plant when it was a huge industrial complex.
The site is a historic old brownfield that needs just this kind of investor who can clean it up and reuse it.
People have lived up against that site since when it was belching smoke and fumes, and open 24 hours a day.
I wonder why they didn't choose TrumpStreet. Maybe not enough of a clean but local connection?
That is asinine.
You don't put a Casino in, then plan for make highway upgrades later.
Look at South Columbus Boulevard, they put in those big box stores with no traffic plan or upgrades, and is is a FUCKING disaster down there. To add insult to injury, now they are going to put a Casino down there.
Wrt Fishtown, people travelling south on 95 to Sugar House will take the Girard Street exit straight onto Girard St into Fishtown. They will then have to take residential streets throught Fishtown to the Casino.
PennDOT shutting down and upgrading any of these interchanges, especially after the Casinos are up and running? Forget about it.
Clean but local, I mean.
Given that there are sure to be many lawsuits filed on behalf of neighbors, other parties, etc. it's pretty likely the only gambling Philadelphians are going to be doing anytime soon is in Chester or Bensalem. They picked the absolutely two worst locations. What about the Penn Praxis riverfront planning group? Is that another Street sham?
No, I think Harrisburg wants the design process, the urban planning of Penn Praxis to play out.
The only riverfront planning ever done by Street involved envelopes of cash. Seriously.
But all of those old players are either 1. dead 2. in prison 3. were shut out this go round from slots in Philly.
That's the message.
People didn't like the traffic and smoke and fumes when Budd was fully operational either. Yes, it's a brownfield that can use re-developing but this was the WRONG kind of development. The site is already being redeveloped with the Kroc Foundation's new Salvation Army, Temple Health Care, etc. Casinos have no place there (or anywhere in the city).
I agree that you should do the traffic planning first before announcing the proposal.
But hey, does PA do any good traffic planning? Look at our bridges and highways compared to other states.
It's not just cash we are missing, it's planning. We don't want to spend the money on administrative functions like that.
Hence, you drive into Maryland, and the signs, highways and bridges are 100% better.
Hello, the Budd/Trump site in East Falls/Nicetown was clearly the worst option in terms of neighborhood impact, since it was tucked between several neighborhoods, a housing project, and schools. At least the river sites aren't surrounded by neighhorhoods on ALL sides.
That said, the covert deal-making process for these casinos shows that we only live in a democracy when the politicians can't make a lot of money off of an issue.
But of ALL of the riverfront proposals that didn't involve old pay to play Street pals (new day in Philly indeed), Foxwoods?
I can't wait to see Fast Eddie, John Street, Fattah and Fat Brady running a craps game when the tables are added in 2009! Can't picture many winners there.
Let's face it, there may be some glimmer of hope but we were sold out by big money and jaded policticians. Doesn't Rendell live in East Falls which would be somewhat close to where Trump wanted to build. What about Fumo? Wouldn't his Fairmount home be affected by all the extra traffic on Kelley Drive?
To those of you threatening to leave Philadelphia when something bad happens: Shame on you. You'll have yourselves to blame if this city starts another downturn.
Which local and Commonwealth officials did you vote for? How, and how often, did you voice your opposition to the casinos? How will you now show your dissatisfaction?
If Philadelphia really ends up suffering because of these casinos, the suburbs will be affected, too--so you might as well plan your move well away from the region (or any region near a casino) if that's how you think you address the problem.
Are you going to move every time something happens that you don't like? That's more destructive to your community than any casino.
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