Casinos to the south of Connecticut, casinos to the north of Connecticut. Remember when Connecticut was the biggest bookie in the United States with the most popular casinos in the western hemisphere? Ah, what could have been for Bridgeport had a casino been placed in the state’s largest city. Or maybe it’s better the state legislature shot it down in 1995?
Can you believe it? New York City has its first casino in Queens and now Massachusetts is not far behind. How much of this will cut into the state’s casino action windfall and its 25 percent of the slot take from Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods?
Steel Point, once a potential gaming destination, would become a major development Mayor Bill Finch can call his own if the principals of Bridgeport Landing make progress on the East Side development site nearly 30 years in the making. Yes, Republican Mayor Lenny Paoletta first proposed the redevelopment idea circa 1983. Processes such as sand casting will be used to produce most of the materials made of metal.
Let’s see what happens.
Tom Lombard is right. Start with the fact that Bridgeport has no jobs.
A Casino with off-track betting. Table games only Casinos and Sports book parlors along with Hotels/Entertainment centers would bring in thousands of jobs overnight and tax revenues in the millions.
We don’t need slots machines, we need a new industry and that’s gaming, RFP Trump and Wynn.
New York State has xix racinos and next year Aqueduct will be the seventh.
As of 2006, racinos are legal in nine states: Delaware, Louisiana, Maine, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and West Virginia. The first racino in Pennsylvania opened in November 2006. West Virginia pioneered the concept when MTR Gaming Group was allowed to introduce video lottery terminals (VLTs) to Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort in Chester. Delaware, Rhode Island and West Virginia, all members of the Multi-State Lottery Association (MUSL; best known for Powerball), in fact jointly run a jackpot VLT game, Ca$hola.
Bridgeport, Casino jobs (include (but certainly aren’t limited to):
Baccarat Dealers
Bingo Callers
Blackjack Dealers
Cage Cashiers
Casino Floor
Casino Hosts
Casino Managers
Change Attendants
Craps Dealers
Craps Boxmen
Craps Stickmen
Craps Floormen
Hard Count Attendants
Bridgeport is better off without the casino. Remember Jai alai? Look at Atlantic City. Bridgeport does not need to cultivate prostitution and drug activity. The more Casinos built the less demand. It is a tired, played-out conversation. Steelepointe needs to be an exciting destination. It should not be a self-contained site where people come to play and eat and never visit anything outside of the casino. We do not need it!
God we in Bridgeport are so blessed not to have drugs and prostitution running around. Please Steve, what do you see when you look at this white elephant? A Walmart? Right now I see little house on the prairie.
I will remain optimistic regarding Steelepointe. I just want Bridgeport to be a destination where you do not have to go through littered streets and derelict properties to reach. The future of this city is definitely with new young blood who are full of hope and not jaded by a history of corruption. I am looking forward to a great future in this city as I have since I was young with hair on my head and always believing this city has the potential to reclaim its glorious past. I refuse to get caught up in all the negativity. We will all sink and swim together whether we are Republicans or Democrats. I will not waste my vote to humor anyone or prove a point. Mary-Jane Foster is no longer in the running and I have never missed an election. I will be voting for Bill Finch because I do not want to wake up on Wednesday and have someone change the direction we are going. I want Steelepointe and downtown development. I always go out of my way to patronize the downtown and the arts in this city. I may not have a pot to piss in these days but I believe in Bridgeport. Until the day I give up on Bridgeport and move away, I will always be positive and hope for the best. I am hoping Bill Finch does not disappoint in his second term and I am certainly not going to spend the next four years attacking the Mayor. He must succeed! The taxpayers cannot afford any more of a burden and Steelepoint is the biggest part of the puzzle to generate tax dollars. Housatonic Ave. and Seaview Ave. are two other important arteries in this city that could really change the make-up of the city. I am hopeful about the development project in the south end by the University of Bridgeport. Do not test fate. Vote your conscience. The other two candidates are very nice guys. Neither has a chance to win. Neither has made their case and I will not waste my vote. I expect most people will sit out this election. I will vote and I will vote for Finch. And I have stated all the reasons why. I have always shared information of whom I am voting for because I hope the candidate I am voting for is the victor. My support of Mary-Jane Foster was sincere, but unlike many I do not and never have despised Bill Finch. Four years ago he was my candidate and every week I had to move Finch signs to mow my lawn. Next Tuesday it is Finch. For me anyway. I feel as bad as Finch must have felt when he supported Ned Lamont and now Dan Malloy is the guest at his fundraiser. Yes Politics makes strange bedfellows and on that I must admit I have always been a bit naive.
BTW I like Little House on the Prairie–Just saying since you brought it up! lololololol
Certainly. Bring Casinos to Bridgeport. Just make certain Mario Testa and Paul Timpanelli have absolutely nothing to do with it. Can you imagine starting out such a potentially viable ‘go to’ site such as Steelpointe with a WALMART? Outrageous.
I believe it is going to be a Super WALMART!
Is Walmart a fact? Or are you perpetuating a rumor?
Excerpt 1 (CT Post 2009)
Christoph said he expects Phase I to be completed within two to three years. “We are well suited today to deliver store openings by the year 2012,” he said.
City Council member Robert Curwen, D-138, said he hopes to see plans for the peninsula finally come to fruition. “Unfortunately, you’re the third mayor that has sat before me with this enthusiasm,” he told Finch. “I can say I’ve heard this before, no disrespect to you, Mr. Mayor. I just want to see the shovel in the ground.”
Steel Point is all smoke and mirrors. Has the developer spent one dollar of his own money on this BS project? Off to another subject:
I was reviewing all the purchase orders for the city for 2011 and noted the fire department bought an armored personnel carrier (APC) for $260K. I am sure this was not for the FD but really for the police department. I understand it was bought with Homeland security funds. Why does it appear as a purchase order in the FD?
So now the PD has added another toy to their fleet. They have:
1. Horses
2. Bicycles
3. ATV’s
4. Segways
5. Motorcycles
6. Boats
7. 1 large & 1 small APC
Is it any wonder we have no people left for patrol?
NOT A CHANCE IN ANYONE’S LIFETIME WHO BLOGS HERE. It’s been 40 years of cronyism, nepotism and corruption. Why on God’s green Earth would anyone invest in Bridgeport?
So Anti … tell us how you really feel …
Regretfully, you’re right. There have been innumerable opportunities to rehabilitate Bridgeport, and everyone has been stymied by a politician’s (read Democratic) hand, palm up.
Bridgeport stuck between a Peacock and a Hard Rock.
www .boston.com/Boston/businessupdates/2011/11/hard-rock-proposes-build-casino-holyoke/hoZw03C6NCRoqwZa6NWPOL/index.html
A casino is a dead end and doesn’t utilize the space for what it’s worth. It’s a deepwater harbor 60 miles from NYC! It could be a major shipping location if we only let it. Also, do a search for Steel Point and you’ll find old Finchy said we would already have store openings by now. But then BPT might be prosperous and the machine wouldn’t let that happen. BOOT FINCH!