SugarHouse Casino Receives Pennsylvania License
Pennsylvania moved on Friday toward the creation of a new casino by issuing a license for the proposed SugarHouse project. Lat week, the city of Fishtown granted SugarHouse and its owner, HSP Gaming LP, permission to clear a 22-acre lot on the banks of the Delaware River in preparation for the casino's construction.
However, some vocal opponents are throwing out possible reasons to slow or cancel the casino's plans, hoping one of the varied arguments sticks.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has voiced concerns that the site needs a careful inspection for possible remains of either Native American villages or an English fort from the Revolutionary War period.
Residents of nearby neighborhoods have also called for a change in locations for the casino. Protestors have planed to invade the neighborhoods of investors in the project, going door-to-door to demonstrate how aggravating new traffic can be in a community.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board stated only SugarHouse would be able to request a new location, and that the license issued specifically applies to the current site.
The state Supreme Court has also been asked to review the decision by the city's Commerce Department to grant SugarHouse ownership of riverside, or riparian, lands previously controlled by the city. A Gaming Control Board spokesman did say that loss of the riparian rights could cost SugarHouse its license, as the license is contingent upon control of that parcel.
