As host cities to a gaming applicant, our focus has always been clear: hiring locally is a mayoral priority. Â Over the past several weeks, we have worked together to outline an aggressive approach that will secure local job opportunities within both the East Boston and Revere host communities.
For 78 years Suffolk Downs has been an existing business and local employer in East Boston and Revere. The current downturn in the racing industry coupled with the state legislature’s expansion of the gaming market in eastern Massachusetts, creates a unique opportunity to support both a long-standing local employer as well as capitalize on a new local job market.
This development will bring with it an expanded industry, and one that should create tremendous growth and economic opportunity. But this expanded development also saves an industry. It saves hundreds of existing jobs at the track. Suffolk Downs has been a local employer for generations. Many of our residents have a family member or relative who once worked there, or works there now. Our expectation is that, if you want to work there in the future, that option is available to you.
With its large scale resort proposal, Suffolk Downs would be the basis for 1,500 construction jobs and 4,000 direct jobs in hotel, gaming, restaurant, management, operations and retail positions. These direct jobs would have an average annual wage of $42,000.
In order to ensure that this provides a catalyst for the industries and jobs in these communities, we must continue to demand that a resort proposal at Suffolk Downs hires locally; improves the quality of life in East Boston and Revere, and stimulates the local economy as a whole.
Both communities are seeking benefits to residents through higher paying jobs at an enhanced racing facility. The jobs preserved and created through this proposed development will provide an average wage that is significantly higher than the existing median income in East Boston and Revere.
This proposal keeps people at work and it puts people to work. That is the right kind of opportunity to strive for.