Foxwoods loses high-court ruling

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court yesterday refused a request by Foxwoods Casino to speed up its long-stalled request for city approval of its planned slots parlor in the Pennsport section.

Without elaborating, the court refused to do for Foxwoods what it did earlier this month for SugarHouse, Philadelphia's other intended casino: bypass City Council and give the go-ahead to break ground.

"I'm happy, but I'm not ready to set off fireworks yet," said City Councilman Frank DiCicco, who has opposed both riverfront casino sites as unacceptable. "I'm surprised by the decision."

For now, Foxwoods' dispute with the city remains before Philadelphia's Common Pleas Court. Meanwhile, Foxwoods' lawyers must decide whether to proceed in the lower court or to file an amended appeal with the Supreme Court.

On Dec. 3, the high court granted approval of SugarHouse's zoning and land-use requests, accusing Council of "deliberate inaction" in delaying a vote on the matter.

Shortly afterward, Foxwoods asked the Supreme Court to take similar action on its behalf, but without filing the same set of facts that SugarHouse had.

"[W]e are still in a position to receive that relief from the Court of Common Pleas," Foxwoods spokeswoman Maureen Garrity said last night. "We are also reviewing our legal options, which include filing a new appeal to the Supreme Court. We are confident that we are entitled to the same relief granted to SugarHouse."