As Wynn Resorts wraps up its presentation to the Gaming Commission, the president of Encore Boston Harbor laid out for commissioners all that has been done to make the company's $2.6 billion resort in Everett ready to open in June, if the commission deems the company a suitable operator.
"This is a truly unique opportunity in America where a business can change a neighborhood," Bob DeSalvio, president of Encore Boston Harbor, said in describing how Wynn Resorts has cleaned up an old industrial site, improved vehicular and pedestrian access to the area and had dedicated to making six acres of open space accessible to the public, including waterfront access. "We really are excited about fulfilling the commitment we made to the community to deliver a truly luxury resort operation."
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DeSalvio reminded commissioners, who have to decide whether to revoke the company's casino license and keep the resort on the Mystic River from opening, that 86 percent of voters in Everett voted to support the casino project, based largely on the promise of job opportunities.
"That's no small job opportunity, we are talking about over 5,000 careers that will be available," he said. To date, Encore Boston Harbor has held about 200 job fairs and has extended about 3,000 job offers, the company said.
So far, DeSalvio said, the project has generated 7,029 construction jobs for a total of 5.3 million hours worked. The casino, which is prominent on the skyline, is nearly complete and on schedule for its "hopeful" June 23 opening, DeSalvio said.
"The current budget is $2.6 billion and we've spent a little over $2 billion to date," he said. "But we've actually completed about 94 percent of the construction." He said the work that remains is "all about the finishes."
