Gaming panel to hear casino plans Oct. 20

Isle of Capri and city officials will try to convince the Missouri Gaming Commission that Cape Girardeau is the best choice for the state's newest casino Oct. 20 at a hearing in Jefferson City.

After that, a decision between the four applicants -- three if Cape Girardeau voters say no at the ballot box Nov. 2 -- should come by Thanksgiving, said commission chairman Jim Mathewson.

The five-member commission will hear proposals from representatives of all four proposed casinos beginning at 9 a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Jefferson City. Mathewson said each presentation will last up to one hour. The order of the presentations will be determined by lottery, he said.

"We want to hear from the applicants and the community leaders who support it," said Mathewson, a former state senator from Sedalia. "I don't have my mind set on information that I'm expecting to hear. Each group is capable of making a presentation to try to make us believe they're the best of the four."

But one thing Mathewson will be looking at especially closely before a decision is made, he said, is that the companies are financially stable enough to build and sustain a gaming facility over an extended period.

"You watch the news. I watch the news," he said. "We're still in an unsettled financial situation in this country. I want to make darn sure if we're going to give Missouri's last license to one of these companies, that they are going to be able to do what they say they're going to do."

Another factor will be information from the state's Department of Economic Development, which is preparing an economic impact study evaluating each proposal, including Sugar Creek near Kansas City, two in the St. Louis region and the $125 million casino Isle is proposing for Cape Girardeau. That study is expected to be completed by the end of the month.

None of this is even remotely interesting, however, to Doug Austin, who is leading the opposition to a casino with his campaign committee Quality of Life in Cape Girardeau.

"I understand their process," he said. "They're gathering all their facts and data. But I'm hoping it never gets that far. Obviously, I'm against casinos, whatever facts and figures they present."

The group, Austin said, plans to put yard signs up in the next week, as well as launch anti-casino campaign ads on radio and newspapers.

Supporters are doing everything they can to convince voters and the commission that a casino would be good for the city. Mayor Harry Rediger and city manager Scott Meyer will join Isle of Capri executives at the hearing, Meyer said.

"We want to make sure we do a good job of representing our community and the city when we're up there," Meyer said. "We certainly want to indicate to the gaming commission that we're interested and show that the effort has been made that it would be well done."

The city's position will probably highlight what's already been said about new revenue, job creation and other positive economic indicators, Meyer said.

Isle spokeswoman Jill Haynes said there will be some new information at the hearing but wouldn't reveal it for fear of losing a competitive edge.

"This is the one opportunity for all four projects to make presentations along with their host cities to the Missouri Gaming Commission," she said. "It's our opportunity to show the commission why we think Cape Girardeau is the perfect location for the 13th and final license."

smoyers@semissourian.com

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422 Monroe St., Jefferson City, MO