Brockton lawmakers were downhearted Thursday after a vote by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission thwarted the city’s hope for economic revitalization through a casino at the Brockton Fairgrounds.
“I’m disappointed in their decision, I know there were some people in favor of it and some people against it in Brockton, but the majority of voters did vote in favor of it,” Sen. Michael Brady said. “It’s going to be a tough financial impact. Brockton is in serious need for new revenue and jobs. This is going to set us back with the potential job growth it would have provided.”
Rep. Gerard Cassidy, who replaced Brady in the House earlier this year, lamented that Brockton won’t see the benefits of the proposed $667 million casino facility.
“It’s just a missed opportunity. I’m a little disappointed about the news and saddened. The economic revitalization at the fairgrounds would have been a big boost for Brockton,” Cassidy, who previously sat on the Brockton City Council, said. “We’ve been on the mat a few times with this whole proposal and we always bounce back.”
Both Brady and Cassidy, however, noted that the casino proposal was not the only economic development project in the works for the City of Champions.
The Gaming Commission on Thursday declined to award a license for a commercial casino in southeastern Massachusetts, where the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe has broken ground on a resort casino of its own.
After about two and a half days of discussion and deliberation, the five-person commission chose not to offer a license to Mass Gaming & Entertainment/Rush Street Gaming, the team working with local businessman George Carney to plan a commercial casino at the Brockton Fairgrounds.
Brockton’s mayor, Bill Carpenter, told the News Service that he was having trouble reconciling the positive comments gaming regulators had for the proposed casino project with the vote to stop it from moving forward.
“I’m deeply, deeply disappointed and somewhat surprised,” said Carpenter, who was present for the Gaming Commission’s vote. “I really thought there were a lot of mixed signals as the commissioners explained their vote before they took it, with several acknowledging we had a good developer with a proven track record and a good location.”
The commission voted 4-1 at a meeting held in Brockton to deny MG&E’s application for a commercial casino license. Only Commissioner Lloyd Macdonald, who was appointed to the commission by ardent casino opponent Attorney General Maura Healey, voted to grant the license.
Pointing out a 38 percent decrease in manufacturing in Brockton since 2001, that 46 percent of children in the city are classified as economically disadvantaged, and a high school dropout rate twice that of the state average, Macdonald said he was in favor of the casino for its promise of jobs and opportunity.
“We have a city that desperately needs economic development, workforce development and the infusion of capital in order to be able to serve its citizens, and we have in the form of (MG&E) a private party, not a government entity, that is willing to commit to invest almost $700 million,” he said before the vote was cast. “A no vote means Brockton, we’re sorry, you can’t have it.”
