Casino developer unaware of riverfront’s “Civic Vision”

Billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn wants to breathe new life into the stalled Foxwoods Casino along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. Last week, Wynn went before state gaming regulators in Harrisburg, where he testified that he wants his project to stir improvements along the waterfront.

Billionaire casino developer Steve Wynn wants to breathe new life into the stalled Foxwoods Casino along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia.

Last week, Wynn went before state gaming regulators in Harrisburg, where he testified that he wants his project to stir improvements along the waterfront. [audio: 100304SPCASINO.mp3]

Wynn said Philadelphia’s waterfront is ugly. When asked later by a reporter about the recently completed “civic vision” for the riverfront, Wynn said he wasn’t aware of it.

Steve Wynn: It’s clear that – whatever that articulation was at some point in the past – the civic vision has changed. Because your city has approved the construction and encouraged the construction of all those buildings I see there. And apparently your city did that. I have no connection to that process at all.

In fact, the civic vision is fairly new and includes public access to the river.

Harris Steinberg is the director of Penn Praxis which spearheaded the process.

Harris Steinberg: It’s really about how do you manage traffic; make sure the people can get to the waterfront and along the waterfront. So the hope would be that Mr. Wynn would be interested in kind of working within that framework because that is the city’s framework that their now working to create a master plan around.

This week in Harrisburg, Wynn told the board he plans to take over the Foxwoods project but has not yet submitted detailed plans.