MGM Outlines Construction Plans at Springfield Event SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB) — With the appoval from voters, MGM will finally start building an $800 million casino in downtown Springfield. It’s a huge project and it’s going to take a lot of manpower to complete. Five thousand new jobs are coming to Springfield, so it’s no surprise that it was standing room only at the MassMutual Center Thursday morning. Hundreds of people anxious to hear MGM’s plans for construction and how they can grab one of those coveted jobs. “We’re looking to make sure we engage as much local community workforce as possible,” says Hunter Clayton, Executive Vice President of Development of MGM Resorts International. Dan D’Alma, Presdient of the Pioneer Valley Building Trades, adds, “It’s a great opportunity for the City of Springfield. It’s private economic development, private monies, so I think it’s outstanding.” The job opportunities will roll-out in phases as construction progresses. Right now, the focus is relocating tenants, securing parking, and mitigating potential traffic problems once demolition begins. Early next year, MGM hopes to announce a more structured plan for construction and actually start building — something many folks in attendance say can’t start soon enough. “I represent over 5,000 building trades here in western Massachusetts and we’ve got right now roughly about 35 percent unemployment. A lot of my members are losing their homes, so this project is just an economic shot in the arm.” “I think the area is in need of something like this. It’s going to really propel the opportunity for people to find some gainful employment, you know, not just unloading trucks in a warehouse, but something, some real jobs for the future,” says Tony Forzaglia, employment training specialist with Veterans Inc. Representatives from MGM say construction will take between 32 and 34 months and there will be even more job opportunities once the building is complete. While there’s no set date, MGM says the goal is to open in 2017. “We’re helping to revitalize this community. We’re a large casino project, but we’re sitting right in the middle of a downtown context, So it may be little painful in terms of construction sequencing and impact mitigation, but once we’re done, we’re a firm and solid cornerstone of this community,” Clayton adds. After this morning’s presentation, MGM held a networking session with a number of local organizations and trade representatives who will work with the community over the next few years. MGM plans to bring 2,000 construction jobs and 3,000 permenant jobs to the area. For more information on the project, you can CLICK HERE.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 19:55:26 +0000
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