Last week 7News got an exclusive tour of the Wynn Boston Harbor construction zone, where on June 24, 2019 the $2.4 billion casino and resort will open. The builders are spending $2.5 million a day in what some have called the largest private development in the state’s history.
Bob DeSalvio, president of Wynn Boston Harbor, hosted the tour, showing reporters the ten thousand pieces of structural steel that are being used in the project, and using enough concrete to create a new Massachusetts Turnpike.
Each week another floor is finished on the 27-floor hotel tower.
The casino will house 3,000 slots and 145 gaming tables.
This is the first time Wynn has developed a casino in New England, which is his home state. He is working to employ features that are popular in the region, such as Italian dining, an oyster bar and craft beer vendor. The casino is rising in Everett, which DeSalvio says is become “a craft beer capital.”
To deal with the traffic issues that critics say are inevitable from such a large, new facility, DeSalvio said one of the things they are doing is “First of all—get people out of their cars,” and onto mass transit such as the MBTA and shuttles, including water shuttles that will run between Everett and Boston, whose skyline can be seen across the Mystic River. It will be a 19-minute trip, says DeSalvio.
Addressing those who fear the casino will raise crime figures, DeSalvio told 7News, “We’re going to run a very tight ship. We want to make sure that we provide a safe and sound environment for our guests.”
MGM Springfield
Meanwhile, the $960 million MGM Springfield, which will open in less than a year, has opened a career center to process the 3,000 hires it expects to make in the coming months.
All of the hiring processes and screenings will be centered in the center, which is next to the casino project. Members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission last week got a tour of the facility just hours before it opened.
MGM Springfield CEO Michael Mathis told the commissioners, “The career center will be the hub of our hiring activity in the community. It’s a one-stop shop facility for people to come learn about opportunities at the resort, to fill out applications, to meet with our different HR professionals, to do panel interviews, private interviews, drug testing, as well as to meet the regulators and fill out licensing paperwork.” It includes a 20-seat computer lab for applicants to use.
Commissioner Bruce Stebbins commented, “This career center is a great way for them to understand all the career opportunities available to them as well as our licensing for certain employees. It’s a great resource for the community and we’re just happy to be here to applaud this opening.”
Besides applying for jobs, applicants will also be able to learn what casino training is available from the two local community colleges that are working with the center.
Next June the casino will have a hiring event at the MassMutual Center, a few blocks from the casino. The almost 5,000 people who have applied will be invited.
