Demolition Begins on Old East Windsor Theater

EASTS WINDSOR, CT — After sitting vacant for nearly a decade, demolition began Monday on the former Showcase Cinemas building on Bridge Street, eventually paving the way for construction of a casino at the site.

MMCT Venture, the joint entity established by the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes, plans to build a $300 million casino on the 26-acre property, which was vacated in 2008. A start date for construction has not yet been established.

Demolition of the old theater is expected to take about six weeks, a spokesman for MMCT said in a news release.

MGM Resorts International is nearing completion of a $960 million casino and entertainment complex in downtown Springfield, Mass., just 12 miles from the planned East Windsor venue. That complex is expected to open in September.

Photo courtesy of East Windsor Police Department