Advertisement

State Wants New Environmental Study At Casino Site

Massachusetts officials have ordered Mohegan Sun to conduct a new environmental impact study for its proposed casino in Revere, but the developers don't see it as a setback.

Mohegan Sun officials had hoped that an earlier report prepared by Caesars Entertainment for a casino that would have straddled the East Boston-Revere line at the Suffolk Downs horse track would be enough. That proposal collapsed.

But Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Richard Sullivan Jr. said the plan has changed substantially from Caesars' and must be evaluated separately.

Mohegan Sun is competing with Wynn Resorts, which wants to build a casino on a former industrial site in Everett, for the lone gambling license in greater Boston.

Mohegan Sun officials said they have already been reviewing the issues raised in Sullivan's decision and can easily address most concerns. If awarded a license, they can begin construction on scheduled, they said.

"Friday's decision keeps the Mohegan Sun project on track to meet or exceed the permitting and contribution timetable detailed in our submissions with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission," Gary Luderitz, Mohegan Sun's vice president of development, told The Boston Globe.

The gambling commission, which expects to award a license by the end of June, does not require applicants to have approved environmental impact studies to receive a license, but they do need approval before construction begins.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close