Casino Plans For East Windsor Put On Hold By Tribal Leaders

EAST WINDSOR, CT — Plans to build a casino and entertainment center on the site of the old Showcase Cinemas theater complex in East Windsor have been put on hold, according to an announcement Wednesday by leaders of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and the Mohegan Tribe.

The theater on Bridge Street was demolished in March 2018 in anticipation of the Tribal Winds Casino, a joint venture between the tribes which operate the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos, respectively.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the tribes took the historic step of closing their facilities on March 18. Since reopening, both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have operated at 25 percent capacity, a fact that has had serious implications for existing employees, according to the announcement.

The statement reads, in part:

"The past seven months have presented our organizations with unprecedented challenges, and for the foreseeable future, we need to focus our efforts on the successful operation of our existing facilities. Every day brings new challenges and we're doing our best to navigate these waters because we know how important our businesses are to the surrounding communities, our employees and the state as a whole. The best thing we can do right now for each of those stakeholders is to focus foremost on the success of Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods.

"We've been through so many ups and downs when it comes to the Tribal Winds project.
There have been many moments where it was clear the easiest path would be to just walk
away. And while there’s no way we could have accounted for this latest delay, we still believe Tribal Winds is a viable project that will come to fruition once markets improve and we’ve taken concrete steps toward restoring normal business operations."

State and local officials representing East Windsor expressed their thoughts on the tribes' decision.

"I want to thank the chairmen for being forthright and honest at every step of this project," state Sen. Saud Anwar said. "While the cause of this recent delay was beyond their control, their clear desire to move forward when conditions improve is evident. I remain optimistic and look forward to a long partnership with the tribes in the years to come."

State Rep. Carol Hall said, "I wanted to thank the tribes for keeping us well-informed as we try to navigate through this very difficult business climate. I am very disappointed that COVID has delayed the progress of this project but unfortunately, we understand that there are many devastated businesses and that it is looking no different for the tribes at this point. I havecomplete confidence that once we get through this pandemic this project will move forward. We have been assured by the tribes that this is the number one project on their radar once they can get their home base operations in good stead."

"The town of East Windsor has been working to lay the groundwork for meaningful economic development in our community, both in Planning and Zoning and on the Board of Selectmen," East Windsor First Selectman Jason Bowsza said. "We want this project to succeed and we respect the long view approach the tribes must take to make sure all the elements of success are in place before making a major investment. I want to thank the chairmen for their candor as they work through the ramifications of the pandemic."

To register for free Windsor Locks-East Windsor news alerts and more, click here.