PHILADELPHIA-HSP Gaming LLP, the parent company of SugarHouse Casino, has taken legal steps to eliminate what it calls “roadblocks” to the start of construction of its $550-million casino on S. Columbus Blvd. It has filed a petition for review with the Pennsylvania Supreme Court along with an application for summary relief against the City, the City Council, and the City Planning Commission.

In the 54-page petition, HSP seeks an order requiring the three entities “to comply with their duties to implement the decision by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to locate a Category 2 gaming facility” on HSP's site. It notes that the PGCB has sole jurisdiction in this matter, a condition that has been reiterated in Rendell previous court decisions and by Gov. Ed. The PGCB awarded the two licenses designated for Philadelphia to SugarHouse and Foxwoods.

HSP charges that “the City Council has continued to refuse to implement the gaming board's decision by failing to designate the approved zoning…and has defied the decision of the (PCBG), as upheld by this court.” It notes that the City Council “has thrown roadblocks in the orderly development” of gaming in the city and “intentionally delayed” the necessary approvals and permits.