Wynn, Walsh Sign Everett Casino Accord

A rendering of the Wynn casino in Everett, MA.

BOSTON—The legal battle and war of words between Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and casino magnate Steve Wynn over the proposed $1.7-billion Everett, MA casino project is over. Mayor Walsh announced on Wednesday that the city had reached a Surrounding Community Agreement with Wynn Resorts over the casino venture that includes $68 million in mitigation funds and $20 million annually for local businesses over a 15-year period. The agreement represents the largest community benefit to date offered by Wynn Resorts or the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to the City of Boston, city officials state. The Boston Globe calculates that the new deal will bring the city an extra $6 million over the life of the agreement. “Our efforts over the past two years have been to protect the people of Boston and ensure the neighborhood of Charlestown is treated fairly,” Mayor Walsh said in a prepared statement. “Residents have been trying for years for a solution for traffic congestion in Sullivan Square and Rutherford Avenue, and we must work together to improve local transportation infrastructure. I offered to keep an open line of communication throughout this process and I thank Steve Wynn for coming back to the table to listen to Boston’s needs.” Wynn Resorts said in a statement that it is “eager to turn the page in our relationship with the City of Boston and begin a new chapter that will culminate with a beautiful, five-star resort overlooking Boston Harbor. Our agreement will unlock economic development and jobs for the entire region.” According to the statement, the agreement between Wynn Resorts and the City of Boston must be approved by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. The City of Boston’s legal battle against the Everett casino suffered a major blow in December when Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Janet Sanders dismissed the city’s lawsuit against the project. Specifics of the deal between Wynn Resorts and the City of Boston include: $31 million over 15 years for community impact; $25 million over 10 years for Sullivan Square infrastructure improvements; $11 million for traffic mitigation in Charlestown; $250,000 for a Regional Working Group on a long-term fix for Sullivan Square; a “good faith effort” to purchase $20 million annually over 15 years from Boston businesses and $1 million for reimbursement of professional expenses. The agreement further commits Wynn Resorts to traffic improvements, including Transportation Demand Management measures, a transportation monitoring program and additional mitigation measures if operational deficiencies are revealed, according to the city. Wynn Resorts has agreed to work with the City of Boston to explore moving the Boston Water and Sewer Commission’s Materials Handling Facility in order to create public open space along the Charlestown waterfront.