“We believe that our project, budgeted at over $800 million, will be a catalyst for the revitalization of the downtown area, create thousands of construction and permanent jobs in the region, drive increased tourism to the area and bring millions in new revenues to the City of Springfield as well as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” he says, in a prepared statement. “Our balance sheet and financial liquidity are unmatched relative to the other applicants seeking the western Massachusetts license and our record of development and generating employment and tax dollars is also unparalleled.”

The project – to be located off Interstate 91 – will feature 3,000-3,500 slot machines; 80-100 live table games; a 20-30 table poker room; a hotel with 300-500 guestrooms and a spa; a variety of food and beverage options including fine dining, casual dining, a buffet, sports bar and food court; a nightclub/ultra lounge; structured parking with 4,000-5,000 spaces; and 30,000-45,000 square-feet of meeting and convention space. As part of the plan, the company intends to incorporate elements of Springfield’s existing architecture into the design of the facility to ensure that Hollywood Casino Springfield fits into the downtown area.

According to a request for proposals from the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, the city’s economic development arm, other gaming companies have also thrown their hats in the ring in the area. Ameristar Casino of Las Vegas has purchased a 41-acre site in the city located on Page Boulevard and Interstate 291 for a planned casino project and MGM Resorts International has plans to develop a casino in the city’s South End generally bounded by E. Columbus Avenue, State Street, Main Street and Union Street. In addition, it has been reported that Hard Rock International has viewed potential casino sites in the city.

A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission did not return a phone call to GlobeSt.com for this story.