East Windsor Casino Expected To Create 5,000 New Jobs

EAST WINDSOR, CT - Local officials and business owners are hoping that the Tribal Winds Casino will bring an economic boom to the area in the form of new jobs and tourism revenues. East Windsor First Selectman Robert Maynard told WTNH that the project is anticipated to create 2,000 casino jobs, 2,000 construction jobs, and 1,000 ancillary jobs, numbers that tribal officials have also cited.

The tribes also have said they have specific hiring goals for area towns, including 325 jobs for Hartford residents, 150 jobs for East Hartford residents, and 175 jobs for Windsor Locks/East Windsor and other surrounding towns.

Patricia Alfarone, owner of Baker & Brew coffee shop on Route 5, told WTNH that she expects a boost in business even prior to the casino opening, as construction is anticipated to take two years.

Recently, MMCT Venture, the entity behind the casino's development, wired $1 million to the state Department of Consumer Protection, completing the first step in financing the casino. The money is intended to offset the state's regulatory costs.

East Windsor is expected to receive $8.5 million annually in new tax and mitigation funding, according to MMCT Venture. Other area towns and cities will receive $750,000 each year, including Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, East Hartford, Ellington, Enfield, Norwalk, South Windsor, Waterbury and Windsor Locks.