Petitioners seek to block Foxwoods move

With City Council set to vote on critical casino zoning legislation today, a coalition of neighborhood groups and churches delivered to Mayor Nutter yesterday the names of 23,514 opponents to Foxwoods' planned move to the Gallery shopping mall.

Leaders from adjacent Chinatown and other groups put a foot-high stack of petitions into Nutter's hands outside his City Hall office.

The names, including children as well as adults from all over the region, were gathered in the last three weeks, said Harry Leong, director of the Chinese Christian Church and Center in Chinatown.

The opposition to the project is "snowballing," he said. "Many people are jumping on board and saying this is not right."

In handing over the first pile of petitions to Nutter, Leong said, "We want a process that's slowed down."

Today, Council is to vote on whether to create a "commercial entertainment district" for the Gallery - the first step in allowing construction of a casino atop the shopping mall at 11th and Market Streets.

Nutter reminded the dozen casino opponents outside his office that it would be a two-step process. He explained that the creation of such a district would not ensure that Foxwoods would be able to build at the Gallery.

Inviting the protesters to talk further in the Mayor's Reception Room, Nutter said that Foxwoods, which has a license to operate a casino in South Philadelphia, would have to ask the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to allow it to transfer that license to another location.

"The best way of conveying that," Nutter said, "is to have a [commercial entertainment district] designation for a particular site or area."

Foxwoods, one of two companies selected to run slots parlors in Philadelphia, announced in August that it would consider moving from its original South Philadelphia site. Once the company submits a plan of development, the city must act within 45 days or the plan automatically takes effect.

Nutter said, however, that the city would be able to extend the review period by another 45 days.

"There are months more of work that has to be done," the mayor said.

Even so, several petitioners said the process for moving the casino to the Gallery was going too rapidly.

The Rev. Robin Hynicka, pastor of the Arch Street United Methodist Church, argued to the mayor that the city should consider Foxwoods' plans before it grants a zoning change.

With City Hall on one end of Market Street East and Independence Hall on the other, "I'd hate to see a casino in the middle," he said. "I'd rather see development that honors our legacy."