Philadelphia’s battle for the remaining casino license has developed some interesting subplots.
There are five proposals vying for one license.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is in town for three days of “suitability” hearings, listening to details about each proposal and asking tough questions.
All five proposals have their merits. All five are from teams that have had great success — if not in casinos, in retail development, urban redevelopment and so on.
One of the most interesting battles emerging is that of the two Center City proposals. They’re from real estate developers that are native to the area, in their 50s and have been on the scene for a long time: Bart Blatstein, whose $700 million The Provence would incorporate the old Philadelphia Inquirer building (400 N. Broad St.), and Ken Goldenberg, whose $500 million Market8 (800 Market St.) concept would at long last fill a gap on the Market East corridor.
Since it’s Super Bowl week, it’s fair to compare them to the Seahawks-49ers rivalry. Each knows the others’ strengths and weaknesses. Both drafted top teams with good bench strength. Neither will back down. One could make it to the Super Bowl. Read more about this story on PBJ.com
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