?By Kevin Werner, News Staff
?Days after the city held two public meetings on a possible downtown casino inHamiltonthat attracted over 600 people, most politicians are keeping their views on hold before giving their answer to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
?It?s going to be a tough decision,? said Mountain councillor Scott Duvall.
About 500 people jammed the city hall council chambers, and spilled out into the second-floor foyer as City Manager Chris Murray moderated a boisterous two-and-a-half-hour forum on a possible downtown casino.
The second of two public sessions Jan. 17 allowed both the pro-casino and anti-casino crowds voice their opinions about the benefits or detriments of locating a gaming facility in the city core. Shouts of support and attacks between the two sides were kept to a minimum, and were only heard at the start of the meeting. By the one hour mark, people started to drift out of the council chambers.
Rick Gray, vice-president of the OLG, said if council says no to a downtown casino, backing only Flamboro Downs as the city?s only gaming facility location, the OLG will ?have to take a look at that zoning.?
OLG remains a tenant at Flamboro Downs, owned by the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation. OLG is continuing to negotiate with the company to remain at Flamboro Downs in the short term.
Councillors who showed up at the city hall meeting included Lloyd Ferguson, Jason Farr, Terry Whitehead, Duvall, Chad Collins, Robert Pasuta, Judi Partridge, Sam Merulla, Maria Pearson, Bernie Morelli, and Brad Clark. Mayor Bob Bratina arrived at 8:15, with his wife Carol, after Dan Jelly asked where is the mayor. Councillor Tom Jackson was attending another meeting and couldn?t be at the city hall event.
Gray was one of seven panelists to take part in the forum. Another meeting was held Jan. 16 at Waterdown High School, attracting about 100 people, predominately in support of retaining the horse racing industry.
City council still back Flamborough as their preferred location for a gaming facility, at the insistence of local councillors Judi Partridge, Robert Pasuta, and Merulla.
But politicians are scheduled to hear Feb. 6 ?from P.J. Mercanti of The Carmen?s Group his proposal for an ?entertainment district? that could include a gaming facility within a hotel complex in downtownHamilton. Media reports have linked Carmen?s to Hard Rock Caf? as possible investors in the multi-million dollar project.
During the public forum, the Yes side trumpeted the jobs, and economic development that would flow with having a casino and hotel complex in the downtown.
Flamboro Downs has about 800 slots, with the city receiving about $4.4 million in revenue. Under a new agreement, the city this year will receive about $4.7 million in slot revenue.
If a larger casino is located in the downtown area, there will be about 12,000 slot machines, and a number of table games. The city?s cut of the revenue would jump to over $5 million. ButHamiltonwould not get a portion of the table games revenue.
?But opponents of a gaming facility, ?including Dan Jelly, and Matthew Green who helped to organize the anti-casino rally outside city hall prior to the meeting, complete with drums, argued a casino will disrupt the slow, but steady redevelopment of the downtown.
They said a gaming facility will prey on the poor, fuel more gambling addictions, create more crime, and suck all the existing dollars away from local businesses.
Professor Hannah Holmes of McMaster University agreed that a casino can?t fill the gap of lost jobs from the city?s industry sector.
Hamilton Deputy Chief of Police Ken Leendertse said ?we don?t expect to see that much activity in the area.?
He said for the last six years there have been 750 occurrences around the Flamboro Downs. If there is a downtown casino, the types of crimes that will happen include public intoxication, auto thefts, and disturbances. He said there is no data available if to prove more suicides or other crimes are caused by casinos. ?
The city hall forum, which included a virtual town hall set up, had up to 24,000 unique people listening to the proceedings, the largest every attendance for a city meeting, said Norm Schleehahan, manager of business development.
The city is also expected to conduct a poll on a casino at the end of February, as part of its citizen engagement process.
The OLG has given the city until March 1 to make a decision whether or not Hamilton can be a willing host for a downtown casino.
Torrey Smith Brother fiona apple awkward awkward CJ Spiller tracy morgan Chase.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.