Revere Residents Set To Vote On Mohegan Sun Casino
REVERE (CBS) - For the second time, Revere residents will vote on a proposed casino at Suffolk Downs.
Tuesday's vote will decide the future of a Mohegan Sun casino resort project at the racetrack.
In November, Revere voters approved the casino plan with 60 percent of the vote. However, East Boston residents rejected a casino, forcing Suffolk Downs to re-group and revise the plan to a Revere only project.
Monday, both sides made their final pitches. Those opposed to a casino held signs and handed out literature during rush hour near the Beachmont Station.
"We're getting lots of beeps, lots of thumbs up. I've been calling around. We've got people who are going to turn out and vote tomorrow," said casino opponent Ricci Lacentra.
Everyone agrees that a casino at Suffolk Downs will transform Revere. The disagreement is what that change will look like.
Linda Aufiero, a lifelong Revere resident, plans to vote no. "I think it brings a lot of devastation to the cities that surrounded it. I don't know what it's going to do to a city it's in the middle of," she said.
Casino supporters meeting at a local restaurant pointed to job creation and extra money for Revere's school district.
"I think it's going to revive our city and I'm looking forward to the jobs it'll be offering in the city," said Matilda Bonfardeci, a mother who has volunteered in support of the casino project.
Revere Mayor Dan Rizzo met with supporters Monday night and urged them to work to get out the vote Tuesday. He has become one of the biggest cheerleaders for a resort at Suffolk Downs, pointing to possibility of turning Revere into a destination city for tourists.
Rizzo was confident voters would once again vote in favor of a casino. He says the margin doesn't matter. However, a wide margin of victory could help bolster Suffolk Downs' case against a competing project in nearby Everett.
"I think Revere voters are going to come out in solid numbers and they're going to support the project just like they did on November 5th," Rizzo said.
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