Somerville Ends Wynn Boston Harbor Casino Legal Fight

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone has been a critic of the $2.1-billion Wynn Boston Harbor casino resort.

SOMERVILLE, MA—The at times bitter battle between the City of Somerville and Wynn Resorts over the environmental impacts of the $2.1-billion Wynn Boston Harbor casino resort being built in nearby Everett appears at an end. Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced on Monday that it will not pursue any further appeal of Wynn Boston Harbor’s Chapter 91 license. Earlier this month, Las Vegas-based Wynn Resorts announced it would resume construction of the project  after it officially received the Chapter 91 license from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. At the time, the City of Somerville said it would not ask the DEP to reconsider, but did not rule out other legal action. Yesterday’s announcement seems to put that matter to rest. In fact, Mayor Curtatone reports that the city and Wynn MA, LLC, have entered into an agreement to work on project mitigation issues, including traffic concerns. “This is not a financial settlement, but rather a commitment to be good neighbors and to work together to solve the issues that impact both the people and the economy of our region,” he says. Saying the city resolved a number of its concerns in the recent appeals process with the DEP, Mayor Curtatone states, “While we did not get everything we asked for, the appeal did yield significant and meaningful results for our residents, so we feel the process worked.” He specifically noted that the casino’s ferry operation, which was not part of any license requirements, is now a requirement for the full 50 year-term of the casino’s license. The ferry is expected to reduce traffic to the resort by 6%. He adds that the appeal also resulted in an increase in the project’s open space and reduced the term of license from 85 years to 50 years. Robert DeSalvio, president of Wynn Boston Harbor, said in a prepared statement: “With all legal challenges behind us, we can now focus entirely on making Wynn Boston Harbor one of the most powerful job generators and economic catalysts to ever benefit the Commonwealth. We are pleased to be joined with all our neighboring communities in making this a historic development for all.” Mayor Curtatone says, “Greater Boston faces significant congestion and transportation challenges and also deserves the benefits of a thriving and growing local economy. The successful resolution of our appeal and the commitment of both the City of Somerville and Wynn MA to continue to tackle our shared needs are both a step in the right direction.” The 3-million square foot casino resort will include more than 600 hotel rooms. The Wynn Boston Harbor, which has been described as the largest single-phase construction project in the history of the Commonwealth, will generate 4,000 union jobs and 10 million labor hours. Some of the project benefits include an estimated $265 million in traffic mitigation and approximately $660 million in direct annual expenditures from Wynn ($242 million in annual taxes and fees, $170 million in payroll and $249 million in goods and services to operate and maintain the resort).