East Windsor Possible Casino Development Site Identified

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East Windsor Possible Casino Development Site Identified

EAST WINDSOR — The proposed location for a casino in East Windsor is a 33-acre parcel at the corner of Wagner Lane and Route 5, First Selectman Bob Maynard said Tuesday night.

Maynard said he hadn't announced the site to the public previously out of respect to CenterPlan Cos., the developer that submitted the bid to build a casino.

The site is home to two businesses — a U-Haul rental and storage center and Lomac Ltd., a family-owned business that sells and services industrial, farm and homeowner John Deere and Kawasaki equipment.

The news brought questions from residents: Why wasn't the former Wal-Mart building and Showcase Cinemas that border I-91 and Route 5 considered? How will this impact the school system? Are town officials concerned about working with CenterPlan after news of problems with the development of a baseball stadium in Hartford, which CenterPlan is building? How will this affect traffic? Can Route 5 handle traffic for a casino?

"There's no specifics — how big will it be?" Marie DeSousa said. "People have questions that need to be addressed."Tuesday night's announcement came nearly two months after the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes, under the joint title MMCT, collected applications from developers and towns interested in building a casino near Hartford.Last spring, MMCT received approval from the legislature to proceed, and in October, the tribes solicited requests from municipalities and developers for plans to construct a casino. In early November, four municipalities — Hartford, East Hartford, East Windsor and Windsor Locks — had submitted plans or showed interest.MMCT originally planned to announce in mid-December which municipality had been selected for the new casino, but on Dec. 11 the tribes said they needed more time to make a decision.After that, Maynard said, he asked CenterPlan if he could divulge the proposed site. CenterPlan agreed.Most recently, Windsor Locks held a public hearing for residents in mid-December, asking what the town should negotiate for when sitting down with casino officials. About half of those who spoke during that public hearing said they favored of casino development, citing job creation. Others cited possible issues with increased addictions, safety and wear and tear on roads.Maynard said officials will now "wait to hear from the tribal nations" before moving forward but said that any decision would be decided with a referendum.

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