Jul 25, 2008 6:14 pm US/Eastern
Onorato Urges Gaming Board To Move Quickly
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
More reaction this afternoon to casino developer Neil Bluhm's comments to a senate panel yesterday. Bluhm warned that his casino financing proposal needs to be approved quickly to avoid foreclosures on the site.
Tonight, one local official has urged the gaming control board to do just that.
Last week, Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato urged a careful review of Bluhm's proposal to take over Don Barden's North Shore casino.
Tonight -- after speaking with Bluhm and hearing the urgency of the moment -- Onorato has joined Bluhm in urging the Gaming Control Board to act quickly.
At stake, says Onorato, is the opening of a new Pittsburgh casino by next summer.
"There's no reason why this has to be dragged out over months," Onoroto told KDKA Political Editor Jon Delano. "You have an investor coming forward saying here's what I'm willing to put in, here's what I'm willing to complete, here's what I'm willing to do if I get the license. They got to determine if all that is real."
Before a Senate panel on Thursday, Bluhm said he was ready to get to work on the casino -- but not if the decision-making on his proposal drags on.
"If the Gaming Board or you don't want us to do this, then i'll take my two million dollars in legal fee loss and you all can face the world and we'll see want happens to this casino," Bluhm told senators.
What could happen is the license process would have to start over -- meaning years of delays and lost revenue to the region and the penguins hockey arena -- that's unacceptable to Onorato.
"The Gaming Board has got to move. We want them to move quickly because we don't want to lose this construction season. we want to get this thing up and running."
In Harrisburg, the casino general contractor Dan Keating told senators that further delay is costly.
"Our bread and butter is getting these things built, so right now you're hurting us by not letting us get this one started again."
Keating said subcontractors could foreclose on outstanding bills on July 30 -- and play havoc with the numbers behind Bluhm's financial proposal.
"I'm very concerned that if someone were to exercise that right it would kill their numbers."
Onorato said it's up to the Gaming Board to keep that from happening.
"They got to go do their job. They got to vet these new investors. If that happens to be Neil Bluhm, then, yes, we want him here."
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