City Budget
Local and national transportation, traffic, and sustainability experts are meeting at a Penn Praxis conference today to discuss two casinos sites along the Delaware River. Last month Mayor Michael Nutter asked the University of Pennsylvania design group to figure out whether the Foxwoods and Sugarhouse plans fit into Penn Praxis' recently released plan for the Delaware riverfront.
By Elizabeth Fiedler
 Listen Now [1 minute 3 seconds]
WHYY News, July 30, 2008
Gaming officials were invited to attend, but both groups say after months of planning and discussions, they're going to sit this meeting out. Sugarhouse Communications Director Leigh Whitaker says there's already an exhaustive public record about the project.
"We're not going to participate in a process designed to get us to move," said Whitaker, "by all accounts of what i've read publicly this is about finding all the reasons why these locations are bad. It just didn't seems reasonable for us to participate in that process."
Penn Praxis Executive Director Harris Steinberg says even without the casino officials, he plans to push forward with the casino analysis.
"The goal here is to create a safe space to have the discussion that's not infused with the political tension that has permeated the disucssion," said Steinberg, "this is really about the smart city building, sound urban design needed to move into the 21st century."
Steinberg plans to send recommendations on the casino plans to Mayor Nutter in August.
More information
Panel: Casinos' plans 'incompatible' with city's (7/30/08) Daily News
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