Wynn gives casino design to state gaming board

April 7, 2010

By Kellie Patrick Gates

For PlanPhilly

Steve Wynn has submitted a rendering of a proposed design for the South Philadelphia casino project he hopes to lead to the enforcement arm of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Chief Enforcement Counsel Cyrus Pitre told the board at Wednesday’s meeting that Wynn also submitted a timeline and other plans, board spokesman Doug Harbach said.  Harbach said those submissions mean that Wynn and the Foxwoods team have met an April 26 deadline early.

Foxwoods met another deadline last Wednesday, when they submitted a plan detailing the new financial arrangements – of which Wynn is a key part – to the board’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement.

The board is expected to discuss everything Foxwoods/Wynn has submitted in detail at its April 29 meeting. “The board expects all the parties to be there at the meeting. They expect to see Mr. Wynn again,” Harbach said.

Neither Foxwoods nor Wynn nor the gaming control board will discuss what the filings contain. They say the information is protected as confidential under state gaming law.

The exception: Earlier this week, Wynn released the artist’s rendering of the casino he hopes to build to the press. The drawing shows a building that is similar – but not identical – to the one he showed to a Las Vegas blogger a couple of weeks ago. The drawing also has more details – red canopies instead of white, a fountain and other landscaping. See previous coverage.

Prior to Wynn’s arrival on the scene, Foxwoods was in trouble with the PGCB for failing to produce the drawings, plans, timelines and financial documents by an earlier deadline. See previous stories here and here. Foxwoods has been paying a $2,000-per-day fine, retroactive to the documents’ original due date, Dec. 1.  While Foxwoods/Wynn are now current with owed documents, the board has not yet lifted the sanction, Harbach said.

The Inquirer reported Tuesday  that Wynn showed the design to Mayor Michael Nutter and Deputy Mayor/Planning Commission Executive Director Alan Greenberger on Monday evening.

Foxwoods and Wynn have not officially petitioned the board for a change of control that would put Wynn in charge, but that is expected to happen soon – as is a request for table games. Both would require public hearings in Philadelphia.

A Wynn spokeswoman has said that if he is given control of the project, there will be a name change. The latest drawing, just like the earlier version showed to the Vegas blogger, has Wynn’s name front-and-center.

Contact the reporter at kelliespatrick@gmail.com.