The glamour and style of Las Vegas arrived at a transformed Edward Connolly Center on Wednesday, March 27, as a backdrop of yellow drapes and artistic lighting turned the cavernous center into a totally different place. With Frank Sinatra tunes playing in the background, Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. and Gamal Aziz, Chief Operating Officer of Wynn Development, held a press conference to discuss the latest developments and news about the proposed integrated resort casino designed for lower Broadway on the former Monsanto site that straddles the Mystic River in Everett.
DeMaria and Aziz came together to present the attendees with a first-look at the renderings of the potential design of the lower Broadway resort and to answer any questions regarding the process. An informative presentation included the location, components of the resort, size and number of rooms, and accessibility to the waterfront.
“This is the most admired gaming company in the world,” Aziz told the crowd of nearly 100 elected officials and community leaders about the proposed 19-story luxury hotel complex.
The 19-story hotel/casino complex is estimated to cost between $1.3-$1.5 billon and would be built in one phase. The construction of the hotel is estimated to employ about 4,000 construction workers with 4,000 permanent jobs being created for the overall hotel complex.
Aziz stressed that the luxury hotel would have 550 guest suites, with the smallest rooms being approximately 700 square feet and the suites as large as 2,500 square feet – dwarfing the size of Boston’s typical hotel rooms. He noted that there would be a museum-quality winter garden and that local boutiques and restaurants would be featured in the skylight atrium to showcase the local flavor of Boston, as opposed to the Cartier’s or Louis Vuitton-type of retail establishments that are typical in a Wynn development.
The use of the waterfront was also highlighted. “We want to give the river walk back to the citizens of Everett,” Aziz added. The water taxi transportation system that exists in Boston Harbor would be expanded, according to Aziz, to bring tourists, gamblers and shoppers to the site.
The casino would be located at the rear of the complex, a good distance from the waterfront walk, local shops, and the lobby of the hotel.
“People will be able to enjoy the entire facility without ever seeing a casino,” he said.
“This was a great opportunity to display the latest progress on the proposed development that the Wynn Group has skillfully been designing for the last couple of months,” said DeMaria, “This is an exciting time for our entire community and we will continue including residents and officials in all discussions regarding the latest news and progress.”
In addition to presenting the rendering, Mayor DeMaria explained the opportunity the development could present to Everett in terms of resources and funds, all of which could help shape and develop the city into the vision that residents have shared and presented for the future of Everett. Wynn officials and the City are reportedly now working on a host community agreement, and a referendum vote on Everett’s casino could come as early as this summer.
Under the terms of the state gaming legislations, Wynn Development will be responsible for all road repairs and construction projects necessary to gain access to the new casino.
Both the DeMaria and the Wynn Group recognized that the most important aspect of the proposed project is the participation of all residents and community groups. The process is designed to give residents a chance to share their thoughts about the present and future of Everett.
The latest open forum community meeting will be held today, Wednesday, April 3, in the Connolly Center at 6:30 p.m.