He joined hundreds who braved the chill to attend a ceremonial groundbreaking for MGM Springfield, the $800 million resort casino that’s expected to be the Bay State’s first destination gaming palace when it opens in 2017. Pierre might still make the 75-mile drive to Foxwoods - and occasionally Mohegan Sun - once in a while “just to see the boys,” but he said MGM’s going to be his new home “as long as all these casinos they’re building don’t knock each other out of business.” If I was young, or in an emergency, I could probably walk it.” “Chances are, once MGM’s open, I’ll take the easy way out and play right here.
“I’m exactly what they’re afraid of,” the 77-year-old Springfield resident said Tuesday, referring to Foxwoods Resort Casino, where he’s been playing cards once a week for decades. Pierre’s penchant for poker puts him in the middle of the casino border war. The casino resort, the largest economic development project the region has seen in generations, is scheduled to open in 2017. Constructions workers gather on the site to watch a ground breaking ceremony for the $800 million MGM casino resort scheduled to open in 2017, Tuesday, March 24, 2015, in Springfield, Mass., Tuesday, March 24, 2015, in Springfield, Mass.
