Opinion

A Critical Vote for Springfield

Almost one year ago, the Springfield Chamber of Commerce began discussing what impact an $800 million gaming resort would have on the city of Springfield and its residents, workforce, and business community. We engaged all the developers, consulted with chambers of commerce throughout the U.S. that had casinos in their cities, and completed extensive analyses.
We wanted to be sure we thoroughly understood the issues and also understood how to capitalize on the positive impact an $800 million investment would have on the city and the region, and minimize any potential drawbacks. In the end, we determined that the benefits presented by this opportunity far outweighed any reservations, and the chamber membership endorsed a Springfield-based casino.
The city of Springfield has now chosen MGM as its preferred applicant for the sole Western Mass. license. The Springfield Chamber stands firmly with the city on its decision and supports a ‘yes’ vote on July 16.
So, why does the Springfield Chamber of Commerce take this stand? There are many reasons, including:
• Jobs. According to the analysis, 2,000 construction jobs will be followed by 3,000 permanent jobs covering a broad spectrum of career and occupational opportunities, from the service sector to manufacturing to professional services. These 3,000 jobs are new jobs for Springfield and the region. With jobs come opportunities — for educational and professional advancement, financial stability and financial independence, home ownership … the list goes on. With those jobs comes increased disposable income. And the business community reaps a benefit as well: dollars will be spent locally with existing businesses, expanding businesses, and fueling our future entrepreneurial opportunities.
• Tax revenues. Significant amounts of tax revenues, including property taxes, meals taxes, and hotel-room taxes, along with several other dedicated funds to be paid by MGM as committed to in the host-community agreement, will flow to the city.  These added revenues will aid Springfield in enhancing public safety, supporting our school system, maintaining roads and parks, and much more.
• Business development. The chamber strongly believes that there are many opportunities for existing businesses to become vendors of goods and services to the resort. Written into the signed agreement between the city and MGM is a commitment to provide $50 million per year of procurement opportunities for locally provided goods and services to meet MGM’s needs. As part of the chamber’s due diligence, it solicited feedback from other business organizations where MGM has a gaming facility and found that MGM has been true to its word.
The chamber also wanted to be sure that local businesses, especially those that have been the lifeblood of the city for many years, were not disadvantaged by the resort. Again, MGM’s commitment in the host-community agreement reaffirmed its support for our business community, and the chamber is now very involved in reaching out to its members to determine what the supply of these goods and services is in our area and to assist any and all businesses in qualifying as vendors and increasing their production capacity if need be.
• Community support. MGM has also committed itself to the city and its people. Its commitments in the host-community agreement include numerous recreational amenities, such as an ice-skating rink, a vibrant riverfront, and an enhanced public golf course. Our world-class existing facilities, including the MassMutual Center, Symphony Hall, and CityStage, are all incorporated into the plans, and the commitments will help solidify the future of these great venues.
So, why does the Springfield Chamber of Commerce support a ‘yes’ vote? Jobs, income for individuals and families, property upgrades, discretionary spending kept within the community, enrichment to our existing cultural and recreational treasures, financial assistance to Springfield, and economic opportunities for all. These are the reasons  why the Springfield Chamber urges its members and the citizens of Springfield to embrace MGM and vote ‘yes’ for the city’s future on July 16.

Jeffrey Ciuffreda is executive director of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce.