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Smaller SugarHouse project looks to a Spring 2010 opening

SugarHouse, a casino planned for the Delaware riverfront in Fishtown, yesterday announced that it could be open by next spring if the city and state approve changes to the original design.

SugarHouse, a casino planned for the Delaware riverfront in Fishtown, yesterday announced that it could be open by next spring if the city and state approve changes to the original design.

The casino's investors, after resisting pressure from Mayor Nutter to relocate the project, have agreed to consolidate structures to create a smaller building, pull the development back from the Delaware's edge and create more public access to the riverfront.

The first building would be the casino, surrounded initially by surface parking lots. The next phase would include restaurants and retail shops with a multilevel parking garage built above.

SugarHouse president Bob Sheldon said that the casino, with 1,700 slot machines, could be open by April 2010. The next phase would take an additional 20 months for construction.

Nutter praised SugarHouse in a City Hall news conference as a "good community partner" for making design changes to address community concerns.

"It is time to move forward," said Nutter, who noted that the city could receive gaming taxes from the project a year earlier than planned if SugarHouse is up and running within a year.

The initial casino, which will cost $140 million, will create 500 construction jobs and then 500 permanent jobs when it opens.

Sheldon said that the project's financing through Merrill Lynch, absorbed in December by Bank of America, must be replaced.

"We're seeking new financing," Sheldon said. "Once we get the required approvals, we don't anticipate that will be too difficult."

SugarHouse will need City Planning Commission and City Council approval for the revised plan of development for the casino.

SugarHouse also needs the state Gaming Control Board to approve an extension of its casino license and changes to the building plans. SugarHouse submitted a request to the board yesterday, including a letter of support from Nutter on the project changes.

The board will hear progress reports tomorrow from SugarHouse and Foxwoods, a casino approved for the riverfront in South Philly, but now considering a move to the former Strawbridge & Clothier department store at 8th and Market streets.

Foxwoods proposed moving its project more than seven months ago, but has revealed no plans.

Foxwoods officials last week said that the project "continues to make progress," adding that they would not comment further "until we are prepared to announce an update on our activity."

City Councilman Frank DiCicco yesterday recounted the many legislative and legal ways he tried to stop SugarHouse from being built at its current location.

"I'm not going to stand here today and tell the public that I love this project or its location," DiCicco said. "But I will say that I'm putting the past behind us today. The fight is over. It is time to work together and it is time to get something done."

Casino opponents plan to demonstrate at tomorrow's Gaming Control Board meeting in Harrisburg. Casino-Free Philadelphia spokeswoman Lily Cavanaugh yesterday said that the SugarHouse design changes won't affect the opposition.

"It's never been about design or what the casino looks like to us," she said. "Casinos don't belong anywhere in Philadelphia." *