Wynn Casino Delay Reputed to Cost Massachusetts $660 Million Annually

The ongoing stalemate between Wynn Resorts and the City of Somerville will reportedly cost Massachusetts residents $660 million annually, according to a Wynn Everett press release.

That figure includes the $242 million Wynn would pay in annual taxes and fees, the $170 million in payroll and the $248 million to operate the casino. Additionally, the delay will reportedly put 4,000 union construction jobs, 4,000 permanent jobs and the $30 million cleanup of the former Monsanto chemical factory at risk.

Last week Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone filed an appeal with the state to postpone construction of the casino, arguing that it posed an environmental risk to the community. The move was the latest in a lengthy, bitter back-and-forth between the resort and the city.

According to the release, more than 700 people showed up to a vendor fair the company held recently with Suffolk Construction.

“It’s hard to comprehend how anyone can be against thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue that would benefit the entire Commonwealth,” Robert DeSalvio, president of Wynn Everett, said in the release.

In a statement today Mayor Curtatone said that the issues posed in the appeal will have serious health consequences for residents who live in the area. He also slammed Wynn Resorts for falsely claiming that Somerville, and not the legal process, is responsible for the delay.

“They are going to get personal. They are going to get political. And we suspect they are going to get vicious, because they know the City of Somerville is in the right,” Curtatone said. “If they were honest with the public and lawmakers, they would factor the appeal process into their timeline rather than draw some arbitrary line in the sand for the dishonest purpose of vilifying me and the Somerville community.”

Photo Credit: Wynn Everett