Casino in Allentown won't hurt neighboring business

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will decide on Dec. 20 whether to award a slots casino license in the Lehigh Valley to Allentown or to Bethlehem. The decision will have far-reaching implications for both the state and the region, and it is imperative that it be a fully informed decision. Statewide, gaming will determine the success of the property tax reforms advanced by Gov. Ed Rendell and the state Legislature. But in the Lehigh Valley, it could determine the success or failure of Allentown.

As I told the Gaming Control Board in April, I truly believe that the Tropicana proposal in east Allentown is the most inclusive and conclusive development for a casino site in Pennsylvania and the best hope for Allentown to re-start its economic engine. Columbia Entertainment has pledged to follow through on all promises made by its predecessor, the Aztar Corp., to work with Allentown and the greater community to ensure that its $525 million hotel-casino provides the greatest benefit.

Columbia and the unions agreed to ensure that jobs in the complex offer solid, living wages. It has worked with the city and local social service agencies to minimize the potentially negative impact of gaming in the community. And, it has worked with city administrators to win approval for a plan that bolsters our overall development efforts while providing a top-notch entertainment destination.

Columbia also has a solid track record of working with communities similar to Allentown, such as Evansville, Ind., demonstrate its positive impact on such communities. In addition, Allentown's Tropicana site is safely removed from schools, churches and neighborhoods.

The Bethlehem proposal, on the other hand, is being built virtually on top of schools and places of worship and an existing neighborhood. This project would swallow whole the South Side business community. Just as ''large box stores'' overtake hometown retailers, the Bethlehem project will surely cannibalize the quaint shops and restaurants that define that community. Sands President Bill Weidner told the Gaming Control Board as much in his testimony. ''We're not social workers,'' he said. ''We want to make money.''

The fundamental problem is that Weidner and the Sands team are not qualified to develop and operate a project of this nature. Their expertise is in markets like Las Vegas, mainland China, and Singapore. As a result, they've proposed an awkward project that is ill-fitted for the South Side of Bethlehem.

The Tropicana project, on the other hand, is a perfect fit for Allentown, and a perfect fit for the Lehigh Valley. Strategically located along the American Parkway, it offers every opportunity to continue an economic revival that is taking seed on the East Side with the construction of the new minor league stadium and the reconstruction of the historic Hanover Acres homes. I anticipate that it will spur further entertainment, dining, and retail development that will provide longtime benefit to Allentown.

In addition, it will supplement and complement our efforts to draw business and visitors to Center City because of its proximity to the new American Parkway Bridge that will be completed by 2011, and the New England Avenue thoroughfare that will provide direct access to the businesses on the East Side of Allentown. The site also is close to the retail corridor on Airport Road and Irving Street.

It's big enough to generate significant revenue for the city and county and become a destination resort. It's big enough to pull in customers from all over the region. And, it's the perfect size to produce a stimulative effect for Allentown and Lehigh Valley businesses without driving them out of business.

I applaud the leaders of Bethlehem for their already successful efforts to restore a city hurt by the loss of its largest industrial citizen. They have a strong tourism and commercial base supported by such successful events as Musikfest, Celtic Fest and Chriskindlmarkt, and the revival of the South Side and this development will continue to occur without the casino's presence.

On the other hand, Allentown continues to reel from the loss of its textile and heavy industry, from tax base that has never fully recovered from the economic changes since the late 1980s, and from the influx of a much needier population, which has placed larger demands on city services. The awarding of a casino license to the Tropicana would provide Allentown with a much-needed tool to rework its economy and build a strong base for the future. And remember, a strong Allentown is vital to a strong Lehigh Valley.