Foxwoods faces gaming board deadline Monday, hearing Thursday

April 23, 2010

Foxwoods Casino is supposed to have drawings, site plans and a time line for its proposed South Philadelphia project to the state gaming control board by Monday.

Foxwoods met this deadline once already – early, in fact – with the help of casino mogul Steve Wynn. With Wynn’s help, Foxwoods turned in a financial plan by its March 31 due date. The drawings were submitted to the board in early April, but days later Wynn withdrew from the project, taking his plans and his money with him.

Foxwoods attorney Fred Jacoby said in an email Friday that he can’t comment about what’s happening at this time. In an earlier interview, he said the Foxwoods team was searching for financing through either a lending institution or a new partner.  Jacoby said in that interview that the Foxwoods project was by no means dead. But he was not certain if Foxwoods would be able to meet the standing deadlines, set in a March 3 board order, or if new deadlines would have to be sought.

“The board order is still in effect,” said Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board spokesman Richard McGarvey on Friday. Foxwoods has not filed any petitions seeking an extension for those deadlines, McGarvey said.

Prior to Wynn’s appearance, board members told Foxwoods they were tired of waiting for results, and were threatening to revoke the casino’s license. 

Foxwoods will appear before the board at its Thursday meeting, 10 am in Hearing Room One of the North Office Building, 401 North Street, Harrisburg.

The community group Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront is taking a bus load of  activists to the meeting to urge the board to revoke the license.

If the board decides to take that step, Foxwoods can appeal the decision. If they were to also lose the appeal, the Board would need to come up with a process to re-open the licensing process for Philadelphia’s second Casino. Wynn has said he would try to win it himself.

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