Penn National's unveiling will include local football hero Doug Flutie, who would open a sports pub at the planned Springfield casino.
Thik is an artist's rendering of Penn National Gaming's planned casino in Springfield.
Penn National Gaming on Thursday will formally unveil its plan for an $807 million casino resort in Springfield with a celebration featuring local football celebrity Doug Flutie and the company's chief executive.
The red-carpet gala will start at 5 p.m. at the Paramount Theater at 1700 Main St. with doors opening a half hour earlier.
D. Eric Schippers, a senior vice president for Wyomissing-Pa.-based Penn National, said the event will include a video of the casino plan, comments by Flutie and an auction of Flutie memorabilia to benefit a local charity. Flutie would open his initial "Flutie Sports Pub" in the planned downtown Springfield casino.
Peter M. Carlino, CEO of Penn National, and Timothy Wilmott, president of the company, will also speak.
"It will be the first opportunity for a full unveiling of our plan," Schippers said. "Hopefully, that will bring the folks out."
Penn National is competing with MGM Resorts in Springfield and the Mohegan Sun in Palmer for the single license available for a casino in Western Massachusetts.
Eric Schippers
Penn National’s casino, if approved, would be built on 13.4 acres of land in the North End of Springfield including properties of The Republican.
The company's local partner, Peter A. Picknelly, chief executive officer of Springfield-based Peter Pan Bus Lines, will also be at the event on Thursday. Picknelly will also speak to the crowd.
Penn National is planning a Hollywood-brand casino, including 3,000 to 3,500 slot machines, 80 to 100 live table games, 20 to 30 tables in a poker room, a hotel with 300 to 500 rooms, a spa, restaurants, a night club, 4,000 to 5,000 spaces of structured parking, and 30,000 to 45,0 00 square feet of meeting and convention space.
If people did not receive an invitation and want to attend, they can ask for an invite between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Thursday at Penn National Gaming's local office at 1610 Main St. in Springfield, Schippers said.
The unveiling will also include representatives of top restaurants that will be part of the Penn National project.
Hundreds of community leaders, business owners and guests are expected to attend.
Schippers said he did not want to provide certain details of the event or the names of other noted people who could attend.
"We want to preserve the excitement for the event," he said.
Comprehensive bids for casino sites in Springfield are due to the city by Jan. 3.
"We're working around the clock, even during the holidays, to ready material for that submission," Schippers said.