Western Mass. hits the jackpot
MGM Springfield bets you’ll like it here. Travel,
Seven years ago, a tornado ripped through downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, turning a big part of the hometown of Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, into rubble. ❚ On Friday, this western Massachusetts town will finally be able to show off its recovery with the opening of the new MGM Springfield, a 2 million-square-foot complex with gaming, restaurants, a hotel, spa, movie theater and shops. ❚ MGM is betting big on Springfield with a 125,000-square-foot casino featuring 2,550 slots, 120 table games, a high-limit room and a poker room with 23 tables. It also has brought in celebrity chefs Michael Mina and Meghan Gill, season 14 winner of “Hell’s Kitchen,” to run restaurants.
And it’s leveraging its clout with musicians and comedians by promising to bring in big acts to the MassMutual and Symphony Hall performance venues. First up is Stevie Wonder on Sept. 1.
“This has helped put us on the map,” says Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, who has been in office since 2007. “Cities such as Springfield have gone through some tough times – the economy, things changing and people going to the suburbs and rural areas. … It’s a redefining time, a re-establishment of core urban cities, and MGM has played a pivotal role in that.”
MGM Resorts International has expertise in spreading its Las Vegas magic to other parts of the USA. MGM runs 13 casino resorts on the Vegas Strip, including Bellagio, Mandalay Bay and Luxor. The hospitality and entertainment company also operates the MGM National Harbor in Maryland, MGM Grand Detroit, Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, Beau Rivage Biloxi and Gold Strike Casino Resort in Tunica, Mississippi.
Those seeking gambling and entertainment opportunities no longer have to travel to Vegas to get their fix. At least
40 states have gaming of some sort. The East Coast has it in almost every state. Massachusetts is set to get another major casino resort next year in Everett, outside of Boston.
Nearby Connecticut has major casino resorts in Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. And Atlantic City, which has had two major casino openings in recent months, is not that far away.
“We got quickly focused on western Massachusetts,” says Bill Hornbuckle, president of MGM Resorts. “We thought there was an opportunity there. We think the market capture is substantive in terms of location and appeal, the uniqueness of the resort and offerings. They have been grossly under-leveraged for years. We can be a catalyst for the city.”
Since the tornado, the city has spent
$3.7 billion to rebuild and improve the community. Part of that money went toward bettering the school system and promoting public safety. Union Station, where Amtrak services the city, also got a restoration.
One of the reasons Springfield appealed to MGM is its proximity to all sorts of transportation.
It is about 80 miles west of Boston and considered a major urban center in western Massachusetts with access to Interstate 91 and Massachusetts Pike. Bradley International Airport in Hartford, Connecticut, is not far away.
Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, says the organization has become more bullish in recent years in promoting the “West Mass” brand.
Springfield is part of the “Knowledge Corridor” that boasts 32 universities and colleges, including Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. The community of Agawam has Six Flags New England. Yankee Candle Village is a popular retail center in Deerfield.
“Springfield is the urban center, but this is going to impact all of Western Massachusetts as a destination,” Wydra says. “We’re a compact area. We sell a region. We don’t sell a city. MGM is going to be a lure and has a brand and marketing budget that is really going to help all of Western Massachusetts.”
Springfield itself has a storied history that includes being the birthplace of basketball and the American-English dictionary by Merriam Webster, earning it the nickname “City of Firsts.”
The city celebrates its past with the 40,000-square-foot Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, which is going through a major renovation, and The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, which opened last year.
MGM is working with local attractions to cross-promote each other. The resort is offering free bus service called the Loop that will stop at various museums and attractions all around downtown Springfield.
“It appears that they paid a tremendous amount of attention to the historic significance of our area,” says Greg Procino, vice president of basketball operations for the Basketball Hall of Fame. “There is a sense of pride in the city that Springfield is taking a big step forward.”
MGM also has partnered with Springfield Museums, a collection of five museums, to display some of its exhibits within the resort. “Cabinet of Curiosities: Springfield Innovations from the Springfield Museums” will showcase objects such as a 1925 Edison Western Union Stock Ticker, a 1915 Springfield-made Telegraphone and an 1895 Edison Home Phonograph.
MGM was deliberate with its design of the resort, incorporating such historic venues as the First Congressional Church, The Massachusetts National Guard Armory and Chandler Union Hotel into the 14-acre property to make it feel more like a campus than a big-box hotel. The Chandler Union Hotel, for instance, has been converted into Gill’s The Chandler Steakhouse.
The 19th-century Armory is now the center of an outdoor plaza made to look like a classic New England town common. It will host events, weekend farmer’s market and seasonal entertainment such as an ice skating rink.
“They made a very conscious effort to integrate the resort with downtown Springfield,” says Kay Simpson, president of Springfield Museums. “They will be encouraging their guests to actually venture out of the casino to explore downtown Springfield.”
The hotel itself has 250 guestrooms and suites. There are three bars and lounges. There also is 34,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
Retail offerings include Indian Motorcycle, an apparel store by the Springfield-based company.
In addition to the steakhouse, there is the South End Market with quick casual dining spots such as Jack’s Lobster Shack. There is Tap Sports Bar, which features a 10-lane bowling alley and arcade. Mina is opening Cal Mare, which will offer Italian fare.
Mina has restaurants in major cities such as Las Vegas, San Francisco and Boston. But he was willing to take a gamble on a lesser-known destination as Springfield because of his long-term partnership with MGM.
“When you’re part of a casino, you’re a part of your own little city,” he says.
While MGM was not allowed to build a standalone performance venue, it has entered into a partnership with existing halls such as Mass Mutual, which has 8,000 seats. Symphony Hall has 2,500 seats.
“We purposely sought out not to build everything on property,” says Sarah Moore, vice president of brand activation and retail for MGM. “People don’t understand the profound history of this city. So much has happened here. It was once a thriving economy. The infrastructure was there. The bones are there, and we’re bringing it back to life.”