IN THE end, Mayor Walsh and casino developer Steve Wynn settled their differences in a way that’s a credit to them both: over the negotiating table. The conflict between the two men over the planned Wynn casino in Everett dragged on far too long, and got far too nasty. But they reached a mitigation deal that probably represents the best that Boston residents ever could have expected under the state’s casino law.
In the agreement, signed on Wednesday, the city dropped its lawsuits challenging the casino, and Wynn dropped a related defamation lawsuit. The agreement removes one of the last remaining potential obstacles to the casino’s scheduled completion in 2018. When it opens, the Wynn casino is expected to become a major regional employer and the most profitable gambling facility authorized under the state’s 2011 casino law.
Walsh’s opposition to the casino was well intentioned: He wanted to protect neighboring Charlestown from the impact of a giant, 24-7 resort next door. But the mayor had few tools at his disposal, and the strategy he chose — boycotting the arbitration process, then filing a long-shot lawsuit alleging corruption at the state Gaming Commission — didn’t yield results. A judge dismissed the case in December.
Many residents of Charlestown, where the casino remains unpopular, are bound to be disappointed that the mayor reached the deal rather than appeal the dismissal. Some casino opponents were hoping he’d be able to thwart the casino completely, or at least win a dramatically better community agreement.
But it should be clear by now that the faults were written into the casino law, which did not allow neighboring communities a meaningful voice in licensing decisions. And the mayor was able to secure a silver lining for the neighborhood: Wednesday’s deal opens the possibility of closing a city sludge facility in Charlestown, which would remove a source of truck traffic and allow for potential reuse as a park.
The deal also moderately increases the amount that Wynn had already committed to give the city annually, from $1.6 million to $2 million, money that Walsh says will be spent exclusively in Charlestown. Wynn got something out of the agreement, too. The agreement supersedes an earlier deal with the Gaming Commission that would have required the casino to pay penalties of up to $20 million if traffic exceeded certain levels, a provision dropped in Wednesday’s agreement.
In a clash as dramatic as the Walsh-Wynn feud — replete with name-calling and bad blood — it’s tempting to look for a winner. The political fallout, if any, for Walsh for having picked an unwinnable fight remains to be seen. But give the mayor credit for this: He managed to extricate himself from a dead end in a way that still yielded some positive developments for his constituents. Even though it’s not the ending that he or they wanted, it’s the best outcome that was in the cards for Boston.
