After years of disagreement by Massachusetts politicians, it finally looks like all of the decision makers are on the same page, as consensus legislation regarding expanded gaming in the state was announced earlier this week
. According to a report, this news is music to the ears of Plainridge Racecourse President Gary Piontkowski, whose organization has had their ducks in a row for some time.
The Sun Chronicle has reported that the state's Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies released a bill on Tuesday, August 23 which will see a trio of resort-style casinos and one slot parlour legalized across the state.
Like many, the news is just what Piontkowski was waiting to hear. According to the report, Piontkowski and his co-workers at Plainville have been banking on the news, and have put in an exhaustive amount of hours in preparation for such news.
Looking to be the locale of the slots parlour, Piontkowski and his crew are now in the position to capitalize on their expansion groundwork.
The track president was quoted as saying that the facility is "shovel-ready." The article also explains that track officials have been working on expansion plans for several years, and that they would be at town hall to pull building permits the next day if the track receives a license.
"We gambled on it, and now we feel we're in position to take the pot," Piontkowski was quoted as saying.
According to the report, the track's board has already signed off on highly-detailed plans on how to add a 100,000-square-foot addition to the existing building and a 200,000-square-foot parking garage.
Although the bill is by no means a slam-dunk at this point, Senator Richard Ross, a member of the committee that drafted the bill, was quoted as saying, "The people who can stall it and put it in a trash bin are the people who are now talking."
(With files from The Sun Chronicle)