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To the Editor:
Last month, the state controlled Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) ended its deliberation and announced its intention to give residents of the stadium district a new neighbor. The current proposal of Live! Casino falls short of what I consider to be several important standards to ensure our community is adequately protected.
Recently, Cordish Companies’ President Joseph Weinberg stated, “We don’t expect any issues with the process.” But unless community concerns such as increased traffic and crime, as well as a lack of minority ownership are addressed, I’m not sure I agree with Mr. Weinberg.
To be clear, I support the creation of jobs and the generation of revenue a second casino could provide. But I believe the PGCB missed an opportunity to improve areas of the city that would have benefitted from the addition of a casino and further Philadelphia’s proud history of minority companies moving our city forward. Both Center City locations showed promise to revitalize corridors, infuse tourism and include minority owners. The proposal at Front Street and Packer Avenue was adequately separated from neighborhoods and had easy access to interstate highways.
By contrast, the Ninth-Street-and-Packer-Avenue proposal squeezes another venue into a sports complex that holds 380 events per year and hosts eight million visitors. It was also the sole applicant not to include minorities in its ownership structure. This must be remedied by a strong diversity plan at Live! I am wary of the Cordish’s dedication to that purpose as it has multiple lawsuits that have been filed that allege racial discrimination against African Americans at its facilities. I will review very closely Cordish’s plan to incorporate and welcome minorities to its facilities.
Residents have voiced concerns about the effects of increased traffic and the threat of crime a casino may draw. It would have been beneficial to address these concerns through a formal petition to intervene or by negotiating a Community Benefits Agreement. Four people opposing a proposal in a meeting two years ago is one thing, a well-funded organization spending those two years to use their legal power to formally oppose a casino, is another. As that process was not undertaken by the community directors of the Sports Complex Special Service District, we will never know the impact formal opposition could have had on the Cordish proposal. Nevertheless, the time for finger-pointing is over, and we need to come together as a community to make sure our issues and concerns are addressed in this process.
Live! Hotel and Casino must explore ways to offset the increased activity in the stadium complex. Traffic and parking are on the minds of residents who already feel trapped in their neighborhoods on gameday. Residents are also concerned about increased crime in the area. Crime statistics for SugarHouse show that this fear is not entirely justified and that crime does not necessarily follow a casino. However, that will only be true if Live! prioritizes safety in the area and provides resources to increase police presence, improve lighting and install security cameras.
Greenwood Gaming, a partner of the ownership group at Live! and owner of Parx Casino, has a track record of investments in the community. In 2013-’14, Parx invested more than $6 million in charitable donations and community outreach, which was almost 70 percent of the entire amount donated by all casinos statewide. I will be advocating for that type of investment in South Philadelphia.
The process of building a casino in South Philadelphia did not end last week — rather, it has just begun. As we move forward, I will be working hard to ensure that Live! Casino addresses the concerns I share with residents of the 2nd District.
2nd District Councilman
Kenyatta Johnson
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