Taunton casino: Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe proposes new development
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TAUNTON — Where does the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe stand regarding building a casino in Taunton?
This question may soon be answered.
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Gaming Authority has asked to meet with the Taunton City Council to discuss a new development proposal in connection with the proposed $1 billion First Light Resort & Casino — which was put on hold shortly after breaking ground in 2016 after opponents won the first round in what has turned out to be a protracted legal battle.
In an Aug. 4 letter to the City Council, Tribal Gaming Authority Chief Financial Officer Jim Erenzo refers to the Taunton casino as the "Intergovernmental Agreement Project" (IGA project).
“Despite a host of delays outside the control of the Gaming Authority, we are ready to proceed with developing new economic opportunities in the City that we believe will provide a financially solid pathway to the IGA project,” Erenzo said.
Is the casino project still on the table?
Erenzo said this new interim project will “impact the timing and scope" of the casino project.
He also said the interim project will create hundreds of jobs, both in project construction and permanent workers, “which will only grow during the future transition from an initial temporary project to the previously planned IGA Project.”
The office of Mayor Shaunna O'Connell confirmed that representatives from the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Gaming Authority will meet with the Taunton City Council at a date yet to be determined.
Attempts to reach the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council and the Tribal Gaming Authority for details on this new proposal, either through their main line, voicemail or contact designated as public relations, yielded no response.
The Gazette reached out to SmokeSygnals, a Native American-owned marketing and production company which does some public relations for the Mashpee Wampanoags, but a representative for the company said they could not immediately provide details about the project.
What did the original casino plan include?
The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is now talking about changing the "scope" of the casino project. It's unclear yet exactly what that means, but at the time of the groundbreaking in 2016, the tribe said the $1 billion First Light Resort & Casino would include:
- 3,000 slot machines
- 150 table games
- 40 poker tables
- Fine dining restaurants; food court with international buffet; and 24-hour cafe
- Three 15-story, 300-room luxury hotels
- Lounge and performance stage
- Indoor pool
- 9 retail stores
- 31,000 square-foot multi-purpose function room
- 5 meeting rooms
- Spa and water park\
Why wasn't the casino built in 2016?
After the U.S. Department of the Interior placed hundreds of acres of land in Mashpee and Taunton — 151 of it in Taunton — into a protected trust in 2015, the Mashpee Wampanoags broke ground in 2016 on the First Resort & Casino in East Taunton.
A group of neighbors against building the casino in East Taunton filed a lawsuit asserting that the land could not legally be put in trust based on the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The residents won the case in U.S. District Court, stalling casino construction and sending the case back to the Department of the Interior.
Then in 2018, the Department of the Interior, now under the new administration of former President Donald Trump, reversed itself, saying the Mashpee Wampanoags did not qualify for land-in-trust, arguing the tribe was not under federal jurisdiction in 1934.
In June 2020, another U.S. District reversed the 2018 decision and sent the case back again to the Department of the Interior.
In early 2021, under yet another new administration, of President Joe Biden, the Department of the Interior withdrew its appeal against the Mashpee Wampanoags over its claim to the land-in-trust.
The deciding argument was, despite the Mashpee Wampanoags not being federally recognized until 2007, historical records going back centuries indicate the tribe has had a strong connection to the designated lands, and has called the area of Southeastern Massachusetts home long before any contact with the earliest of European settlers.
But it's not over yet.
Taunton opponents appeal court ruling
A notice of appeal of the February decision in U.S. District Court was filed on March 1 by Attorney David H. Tennant, representing the residents of Taunton against the casino development. A case number was given on March 2 by the United States Court of Appeals.
Discussions by the Taunton City Council over the last several months dealing with the future of the casino and the city’s intergovernmental agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe have been through closed-door executive sessions.
When reached for comment, the office of Mayor Shaunna O’Connell would not disclose details regarding any specifics on this proposed new development from the Tribal Gaming Authority due to legal constraints and confidentiality around what's been discussed in executive session.
"The City will be reviewing all aspects of the Tribe's plans, to assess the effect on our city," said O’Connell in a written statement.
Tribe has not been 'meeting financial obligation' to city
The mayor's Chief of Staff Ligia Madeira elaborated there remains concerns behind the payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) Agreement, established between the City and the Tribe in 2012. This agreement, established with sovereign entities such as the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, or private entities like colleges and churches, mandates payments for services like roads and public works.
Said O'Connell: “The Tribe has not met their financial obligation to us for several years. To move forward, they need to honor their previous commitments."
