Sugarhouse casino ready for construction
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
After years of political wrangling and planning, Today a casino is set to start construction in Philadelphia. Sugarhouse officials say the interim casino will create hundreds of new jobs and generate tens of millions in new taxes for Philadelphia. The owners and management team of SugarHouse Casino, are expected to gather with Mayor Michael Nutter, and City Councilmen Frank DiCicco and Darrell Clarke.
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Casino-Free Philadelphia activists plan to hold a public "community groundbreaking" at the site to publicly protest SugarHouse's groundbreaking ceremony. Demonstrators will display anti-casino banners and invite citizens to use sidewalk chalk to write down ideas for waterfront development that does not include casinos.
Organizer Lily Cavanagh was one of more than a dozen protesters recently arrested for their actions at the site. She says she's been an active member of the anti-gaming group for about two years.
Cavanagh: Our group is breaking ground for our vision for a better Philadelphia um and so it's not a time of sadness for us because we are committed and we know that we will be able to shut them down if they do open.
SugarHouse expects to open an Interim Casino in about 10 months.