Preparation work continues at MGM Springfield site

Pre -construction work continues on Lower Street as the area is prepared for construction of the MGM project. (MARK M. MURRAY / THE REPUBLICAN)

BOSTON - West Springfield will receive $98,500 from a reserve fund established by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to use for consultant and legal assistance and for a traffic study.

The money is meant to help the town plan for the opening of MGM Springfield, to help it with ongoing negotiations with MGM's developer, and to look at things like traffic impacts.

Although West Springfield entered into a "surrounding community agreement" with MGM Springfield, that agreement only requires MGM to pay money to West Springfield once the casino starts operating.

John Ziemba, the ombudsman between outside groups and the Gaming Commission, said West Springfield has already spent town resources on planning and "will continue to spend significant planning resources to deal most effectively with its new neighbor."

In March 2015, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission established a $17.5 million Community Mitigation Fund, from which communities can apply for money to offset costs related to casino construction or for planning relating to the impact of casinos.

West Springfield is the first community to receive money from the fund.

Several other cities and towns requested money from funds controlled by the Gaming Commission for specific purposes. Springfield asked for $234,500 to fund the city's casino liaison office and for legal services tied to the casino.

The Gaming Commission denied the request. Officials said that those costs were covered in the host community agreement that Springfield signed with MGM.

The commission also denied requests by several towns in eastern Massachusetts. Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby said the fund was meant to address unanticipated problems, not to be a way to pay for known expenses where existing agreements fall short.

"If host communities didn't get sufficient funds to mitigate the impacts of casinos, what were they doing?" Crosby said.