By Harris Donovan
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board yesterday unanimously approved renewing Stadium Casino license for the casino at 900 Packer Ave. and modified the on-ramp access provision to improve access to I-76 in South Philly. The modification also puts the onus on government entities to build the on-ramp, not the casino operator.
Casino officials and the gaming board apparently privately negotiated the new terms of the on-ramp promise, which the board approved without comment. The gaming board did not explain how it arrived at the $3 million figure, which is significantly lower than what the Casino had initially promised.
During its 2014 licensing proceeding, the casino said it had set aside $19 million to design and build an on-ramp at Seventh Street, near to the site at 900 Packer Avenue where it is now building the Live! Philadelphia Casino and Hotel. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recently estimated that an entrance ramp would cost $8-10 million to build. More recently, during a July 10 hearing, Stadium Casino’s attorney, Richard W. Hayden, estimated construction costs would only amount to $2 million.
