Everett, Mass., Mayor Endorses Wynn Philadelphia…for Everett, Mass.


“Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria Jr. today announced details of an agreement with Las Vegas casino developer Steve Wynn that is expected to generate millions of dollars in new tax revenues.”

That’s how the article about a potential partnership between Steve Wynn and the town of Everett, Mass., begins, and the mayor is indeed feeling good. “We’re excited to bring this to the residents,” the mayor told Boston.com, though she didn’t mention that this–the “gleaming bronze resort casino”–is the same this as the gleaming bronze resort casino rendered for Philadelphia, nor that the plans to reinvigorate the Everett waterfront are the same as the plans to reinvigorate the Philadelphia waterfront.

So what happens if the Wynn Everett deal goes through and the Wynn Philadelphia deal goes through? Double vision? Not quite. Wynn is offering Everett all kinds of financial incentives and strategies to, as Next City puts it, “prepay against so much anticipated harm”–i.e., the harm casinos inevitably do to do cities. If Philly would get the same extravagant benefits slated for Everett, we have yet to hear them.

PREVIOUSLY: Inga Saffron: Steve Wynn Should Get the P.T. Barnum Award
Casino Plan for Everett, MA Would Pay to Offset the Downsides of… a Casino [Next City]
Everett mayor unveils casino deal with Steve Wynn