Despite an ongoing suitability investigation by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission stemming from accusations against the company’s former CEO and Chairman Steve Wynn, construction on the Wynn Boston Harbor project is chugging right along. The Massachusetts casino-hotel is slated to open in June 2019. Meanwhile, construction crews are finishing new floors of the main tower at a pace of about one every two weeks.
The 27-floor hotel-casino will radically change the Everett skyline and transform the entire area along the Mystic River into a world-class destination.
But the transformative effect of the Wynn Boston Harbor project will extend well beyond the property’s 13-acre footprint.
A long-proposed footbridge gets a second look
One of the latest additions to the project is an expansive 780-foot footbridge. The state first considered building one back in 2009. With the Wynn casino as the impetus, the state resurrected the project. However, the cost is now much higher than the old 2009 plan. In nine years, the estimated cost ballooned from $8 million to $23 million.
The state hasn’t explained how it will pay for the bridge. In fact, the Department of Conservation and Recreation says it’s looking at, “multiple funding sources.”
One of those sources would be Wynn Resorts. Wynn Resorts is ready to commit $250,000 to planning and said it would contribute even more to construction.
If the project goes forward, the proposed bridge would be the longest bike and foot bridge in the state, and the most expensive. The bridge would span the Mystic River and link the Wynn property in Everett with Assembly Station, an Orange Line stop on the opposite bank in Somerville, Massachusetts.
More than one way to get to Wynn Boston Harbor
The footbridge would provide yet another way for local residents to make their way to the casino.
With a 3,000-space underground garage, the hotel-casino will appeal to residents from Central Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and beyond.
The Wynn casino’s location is about an hour drive from some of the bigger population centers in New England:
- Worcester, MA
- Providence, RI
- Nashua, NH
- Manchester, NH
For out-of-towners, the property is a short taxi ride from Boston’s Logan Airport or from hotels in the city proper.
The bottom line is, even though its located in the city, Wynn Boston Harbor is trying to be as convenient and accessible to as many people as possible. Most of the methods are pretty conventional; some others, not so much.
Water shuttles
Wynn will be operating a water shuttle service that will ferry casino-goers from the seaport in downtown Boston to the Wynn Boston Harbor casino in Everett. The three shuttles will run around the clock seven days a week.
According to the Wynn Boston Harbor website:
“Wynn Boston Harbor’s exclusive water shuttle service, connecting to Boston Harbor and beyond, will make visits to the resort both enjoyable and convenient. These low-profile, European-style boats will be enclosed and temperature-controlled, ensuring passenger comfort year-round. In addition, the resort’s docks will accommodate water taxis and private boats for drop-offs and pickups.”