Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Construction card in play at Wynn’s Boston-area casino

Wynn Boston Harbor

Steven Senne / AP

Wynn Boston Harbor President Robert DeSalvio, left, and Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria, right, sound horns to signal an official start of construction as workers look on, left, at the site of the Wynn Boston Harbor resort casino complex, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2016, in Everett, Mass. Wynn Resorts is starting construction on its $2 billion Boston-area casino after years of legal fights.

After years of debate, deliberation and unexpected delays, Wynn Resorts is finally building its $2.1 billion casino in Everett, Mass.

"Today really launches the start of construction for Wynn Boston Harbor," said Robert DeSalvio, president of the planned casino. "We feel really good about where we are today. There's no stopping us now."

The Wynn Boston Harbor will be a 3.3 million-square-foot hotel and casino, set on 33 acres that will include retail, restaurants and a harborwalk next to the Mystic River. Backers say the project will be the biggest construction project in Massachusetts history.

At a hastily held event after Wynn received its final permit Wednesday, DeSalvio, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria and others said their focus is on getting the casino up and running as quickly as possible.

"This is a great day for the city of Everett," DeMaria said.

Chris Gordon, president of Wynn Design and Development Massachusetts, said the casino is expected to open in June 2019. Officials had previously said it would open in 2018.

Developers expect to hire 4,000 construction workers and an additional 4,000 employees once the casino opens.

Earlier this year, Somerville filed a last-minute appeal of Wynn's Chapter 91 license, an obscure state permit designed to ensure that waterfront development includes public benefits.

Wynn won the appeal, although the term of the license was shortened to 50 years from 85.

That appeal also triggered an automatic hearing process that held up most construction until the license was in hand on Wednesday.

There are still several legal challenges to the casino's permitting process, and Somerville could decide to take its Chapter 91 fight to the courts, but DeSalvio said he doesn't expect those to have any impact.

Wynn was able to do some prep work across the site, but without the license could not do any work on the waterfront or build any permanent structures.

The Las Vegas casino giant also feuded with Mayor Martin J. Walsh over traffic mitigation payments to Boston, but the two eventually settled their differences.

"The road to get here was bumpy," said Enrique Zuniga, one of the state's five Gaming Commissioners.

Still, DeSalvio said he doesn't expect the delay to affect revenue despite a longer time for competitors to grab a foothold in the market.

In an earnings call late last month, Steve Wynn said the casino will stand out in New England.

"We're bringing a five-star frontline integrated resort right into the center of Massachusetts," Wynn said. "It's going to be a doozy."

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