Casino talk persists in Warren; No proposal to rival Palmer has emerged.

Byline: Bradford L. Miner

WARREN - As talk of a Mohegan Sun-sponsored, $1 billion casino in Palmer heats up, there is speculation, but no hard evidence that gaming companies are looking at alternative potential sites in Warren for a casino.

Mohegan Sun officials outlined plans for a 164,000-square-foot casino with 4,000 slot machines, 600 hotel rooms, restaurants and retail space at a packed hearing Jan. 23 before the Citizen Casino Impact Study Committee at the Palmer Public Library.

That casino would be built on 150 acres off exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

A Jan. 17 article published on the Bloomberg.com Web site states that "Foxwoods is teaming with Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage and is looking at sites in Warren and Revere."

A call to Frank Pracukowski, director of administration for the Foxwoods Development Company was not returned.

Mac Daniel, spokesman for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, said his agency has not given any assurances regarding the construction of ramps off the turnpike for a casino.

Mr. Daniel said the authority is not engaged in any discussions with gaming companies or anyone else regarding locating a gaming facility on turnpike property, or building ramps to serve a gaming facility on or off turnpike property.

According to assessors' records, the Turnpike Authority owns four parcels in Warren for a total of 203 acres, seven acres north of the turnpike and 196 acres south of it.

State Rep. Todd M. Smola, R-Palmer, said he has been following the casino issue closely, even before Gov. Deval L. Patrick proposed the licensing of three casinos in the state, one of which would be located in Western Massachusetts.

Mr. Smola said he has heard nothing official from Foxwoods regarding Warren or any other site in Central and Western Massachusetts.

"The only thing I've heard is coming from Donald Trump's organization, which is actively looking at Holyoke, at the Ingleside Mall which is up for sale. If Foxwoods is looking, it's below the radar so far."

He said he would not be surprised to learn that "conversations were taking place" with respect to building a casino on the turnpike's property in Warren.

"If the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority were to decide to get into the casino game in Warren, you'd be talking about a whole different animal. For a start, it's questionable whether such a project would be subject to any local control. As a state agency, cutting through any red tape would be much easier than it would be for any private developer," Mr. Smola said.

He likened such a project to one of the turnpike's service areas. "For all intents and purposes, it would be an island unto itself."

If such a proposal were to be raised, he said, the unanswered question would be how the host community would benefit.

"Before any municipality embraced a casino, I would hope that the residents of that community would have a very clear idea of the pluses and minuses. With a private developer, that would very likely be subject to negotiation, to protect as much as possible the host community's quality of life. If the Turnpike Authority decides to host a casino, it could be that that city or town doesn't get a dime," Mr. Smola said.

"If there's a satisfactory answer to that question, I know I haven't heard it," he added.

State Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, said he's seen nothing in writing and has only heard that the Turnpike Authority would have an interest in smoothing the way for a casino in this part of the state.

"What first comes to mind with the Palmer proposal is that there's absolutely no way that the existing ramps for Exit 8 could handle the additional 50,000 cars a day. It's a given that any casino would have its own exit off the turnpike, and the casino developer would bear the entire cost," Mr. Brewer said.

"That holds true whether it's land in Palmer, or privately owned or public land in Warren," he added.

Mr. Brewer said he would not be surprised to learn that sites in Warren are being considered for a casino, given the undeveloped land available with potential access to the turnpike.

In November 2007, David J. Callahan of West Brookfield, a partner in the Rolling Hills Estates Trust, said that, if the Legislature approved, he would be interested in seeing the 1,500 acres near Gilbert and Smith roads developed for a casino.

The idea for a casino on the West Warren site was first explored in 2002, the same year that, in a nonbinding referendum, voters gave approval, 774 to 523, to being host community for a casino.