New England Public Radio

An updated rendering of MGM Springfield's scaled-back hotel plan, which eliminates a 25-story glass tower on State Street. Pictured here is the new proposed hotel site along Main Street.
(Photo Credit: Republican Photo Desk)

Mass. Gaming Commission OKs MGM Design Changes

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted unanimously on Thursday to approve design changes put forward by MGM for its Springfield casino.

The company is scrapping a 26-story hotel tower in favor of a six-story building, and reducing the total size of the development.

Commission Chair Steve Crosby expressed complete faith in the revised plan.

“All of the key elements in our judgment are still a part of the project. We didn’t mind the change from the tower,” Crosby said after the vote. “And I think it’s got a potential to be a really powerful economic development engine for Springfield, and that’s what we’re excited about.”

Some Springfield city officials first opposed the changes, saying they felt blind-sided, but have since come around to accept them. The casino is slated to open in late 2018.

New England Public Radio’s Alden Bourne and Kari Njiiri contributed to this report.