A proposal before the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board would convert the Eisenhower Inn and Convention Center on Emmitsburg Road in Cumberland Township into a hotel and resort housing 600 slot machines and 50 table games.
Proponents claim the Mason-Dixon Resort and Casino will bring jobs and tax revenue to Adams County, but an opposition group boasting several thousand members said the casino will harm heritage tourism and desecrate what many consider the most significant battleground in U.S. history.
In addition to the hotel and casino, Mason-Dixon would include restaurants and live entertainment, said David LaTorre, spokesman for the project. The resort would preserve the 100 current jobs at the Eisenhower complex while creating about 375 more.
The project would create 500 additional jobs in area businesses to “provide goods and services,” not including construction, he said.
David LeVan, one of the project’s chief investors, has committed to giving Adams County residents priority in hiring for these jobs, LaTorre said.
LeVan was the primary investor in Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa, which was denied a license by the Gaming Control Board in 2006. The Crossroads project, which was to include 3,000 slot machines, was proposed for the intersection of U.S. 15 and U.S. 30, just east of Gettysburg.
Mason-Dixon would be one-half mile from South Cavalry Field, a “satellite area” of the Gettysburg National Military Park, LaTorre said. This area is not accessible by car or a pedestrian path and is not visited by tourists. The complex would not be visible from Emmitsburg Road.
Cumberland Township resident Susan Star Paddock, chairwoman of No Casino Gettysburg, said her group opposes the proposed casino because of its proximity to the National Military Park. No Casino opposed the Crossroads project in 2006 for the same reason.
The distance is “disrespectful to the sacrifice of the 51,000 casualties of American history’s most significant battle,” Paddock said.
“We oppose the casino because it would change the character of our historic, family-friendly community. … Because Gettysburg belongs to the nation, this will be a national issue.”
Paddock’s group said heritage tourism will be threatened if a casino license is awarded to Mason-Dixon. According to an ad published by No Casino Gettysburg, attendance at the Vicksburg, Miss., National Military Park has dropped 40 percent since casinos opened there.
The group also states the casino will divert tourist dollars away from local businesses, eliminating jobs.
Members of Pro Casino Adams County, a citizens’ group in favor of the Mason-Dixon proposal, laud the jobs and tax revenue they believe the casino will bring to the area.
“Tourism alone is no longer sustaining this economy,” Pro Casino member Richard Kitner said.
“This project, which is not on the battlefield, nor within sight or sound of the battlefield, and is not located even close to the town of Gettysburg, would create hundreds of new jobs while preserving existing jobs and provide millions of dollars to local businesses while helping to reduce our taxes.”
LaTorre said he does not know when to expect a decision by the Gaming Control Board. Mason-Dixon is up against several other casino proposals for one available license.
Copyright © 2010 – Frederick News Post
