TAUNTON, Mass. -
Gov. Deval Patrick said Thursday he expects to sign a revised casino compact with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe within the next few days.
The tribe has proposed a multimillion-dollar casino and resort on land near the junction of routes 24 and 140 in Taunton.
Patrick said during an appearance on WGBH-FM that his administration has reached an agreement-in-principle with the tribe and that he expects to brief legislative leaders on the deal shortly.
"We're not there yet, but we're on the last leg of the journey," Mayor Thomas Hoye said Thursday.
Hoye said from all indications, the tribe will be able to take the land into trust.
"Until I'm told otherwise, we're expecting this project to happen," the mayor said.
The federal Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected a compact signed the state and the Mashpee last year, saying it required the tribe to return too high a share of its gambling revenues to the state.
Patrick did not disclose details of the new compact but said it had already been "vetted" by federal officials.
The city stands to gain $8 million a year from the project, if built. The project would also create 1,000 construction jobs, and up to 2,000 people would be hired to work in the casino.
The city would also get other support from the tribe.
"We're talking about 24 additional police officers, 23 additional firemen, many infrastructure improvements around the city," Hoye said. "It's a great opportunity for the city of Taunton."
